Measures introduced to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic led to an improvement in Irish prison standards last year, according to the Irish Penal Reform Trust.
Like other congregated settings, Irish prisons have faced huge challenges due to Covid-19. During the first wave last year, a reduction in prisoner numbers and cell sharing kept the virus at bay.
Family visits were substituted with video calls and there was a provision for phones in cells. These approaches have been welcomed by the Irish Penal Reform Trust, in its fourth annual review of Irish prison standards.
However, it said, as the country's oversubscribed courts system prepares to clear a backlog, any improvements are at risk of being reversed.