The Minister for Justice has been called on to establish an independent prison authority following the publication of a critical report into prisons here.
The call comes following the publication of the inspector of prisons report and the deaths of two men in Mountjoy prison on Thursday.
Michael Rogers (39), South Circular Road, Dublin, was found hanging in a protection cell in Mountjoy just after 3am on Thursday. John Wallis (21), from Wexford town, fell ill in his cell in the basement area at lunchtime also on Thursday. He was taken to the Mater hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The two deaths came three weeks after the murder of Gary Douch (21) from Darndale, Dublin. He was beaten to death in a holding cell by an inmate with a history of psychiatric illness.
The prisons report, from inspector of prisons Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen, criticised continued overcrowding in Mountjoy and the Government's failure to deliver on a promise to establish the prisons inspectorate as an independent statutory body.
It heavily criticised Michael McDowell and the Department, of Justice, accusing them of a "frightening and fascist" attitude to prison reform.
Labour's spokesman on justice Brendan Howlin said that the report depicted a shocking situation in many of the country's prisons.
"The sense of frustration felt by Mr Justice Kinlen at the failure of the Minister to heed his previous findings and recommendations is very evident from his latest report," he said.
"The inspector of prisons, the visiting committees, the Irish Prisoner Officers Associations and the prisoners themselves all report very serious problems in the prisons, yet the Minister and the Prison Service continue to insist that there is no problem."
Green Party spokesman on justice Ciarán Cuffe called for an independent investigation into the deaths at Mountjoy and the establishment of an independent prisons inspectorate.
"Instead of recognising the need for a separate inspectorate, Minister McDowell has placed himself in charge of the Prison Service in an 'una duce, una voce' manner."
Fine Gael spokesman on justice Jim O'Keeffe also called for an independent investigation into the Mountjoy deaths, saying that the crisis appeared to stem from a combination of overcrowding and the lack of rehabilitation and recreation facilities in Mountjoy and other prisons.
A spokeswoman for the Irish Prison Service said that numbers in Mountjoy were below capacity yesterday. "We have a capacity of 490 and there are 423 in custody. There have been no further disturbances and the situation is calm."
