€1m cell phone bill

Huge cost to put landlines into prisons

- DARRAGH MCDONAGH

LANDLINE phones have been installed in 804 prison cells at a cost of more than €1million this year.

And work is underway to extend the service to every inmate in the state.

Four of the country's 12 detention facilities now have an analogue phone in every cell, meaning inmates in Castlerea, Cloverhill, Limerick and Midlands prisons can make calls without leaving their rooms.

The purchase and installation of the equipment has cost a total of €1,131,688 to date.