The Future Prison Capacity Working Group was established in July 2024 by the then Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, T.D., to examine Ireland’s prison capital requirements out to 2035. The report highlights that like other prison systems in Europe, the Irish prison system is facing significant capacity challenges, with record-high prisoner numbers placing increasing strain on the whole system. There are some common trends across the EU and UK including increases in remand populations, longer sentences, policy shifts and demographic changes. In addition, various sources suggest that crime trends and rates are influenced by age shifts in the population as well as social and economic conditions and those conditions applying to different birth cohorts.