Chapter 1: What is the background of Daniel Kinahan's extradition case?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Daniel Kinahan is expected to be held in the state's maximum security facility in Portlaoise if he is extradited. Kinahan was, of course, arrested as part of a secret joint operation between the Garda and authorities in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month. Here to tell us more is Crime World's Nicola Tallent and criminologist Trina O'Connor. You're both very welcome. to the programme.
To come to you first, Nicola, why is Portlaoise Prison considered to be the suitable place for housing somebody as notorious as Daniel Kinahan?
Well, I think it's still seen as one of the highest, most secure prisons in Europe. You know, it was built in a time and for a different reason, I suppose, for terrorists when there would have been breakouts from jails, etc. So it's very well run and there are separate wings in it where people are held, you know, like-minded people are still held.
So it would be seen as the most suitable for the likes of Daniel Kinahan. You know, it sounds mad when you say about prison breakouts and, you know, you sound as if you're operating on a different planet. You're working for Netflix. But in actual fact, a...
A associate of Kinahan, a guy called Noaf Al-Fassi, a Dutch man who was lifted here in Ireland, was held initially in Portlaoise prison while the Dutch authorities looked to bring him back, only in recent years on a trial for a number of gangland murders. And there was a plan to break him out. And the plan was unravelled by the Gardaí, by Dutch police.
And in actual fact, the Dutch military sent in their own plane and removed him, you know, before he was due to, so as that plan couldn't be carried out. So you've got that, but you've also got the fact that Daniel Kenehan would be a target himself. So within the prison walls, they want to keep him safe too.
I'm sure one of the big concerns, should he be extradited, is not just keeping him safe within these prison walls, but within the prison environment. But if he has to be transported from the prison to and from court.
Yeah, so Sean McGovern, who's his number two, has just been and is in court this morning for the end of his sentence hearing. So there's a lot of security around that. That would be a high risk point when they're being transported. Again, it sounds very fantasy and, you know, it sounds a bit silly that... would the game not be up when they're actually arrested and jailed?
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Chapter 2: Why is Portlaoise Prison chosen for Daniel Kinahan?
To bring you in, Trina, there's an interesting piece in the front of the Irish Times today and it's quoting... the head of the prison service here and she talks about the increase in the number of gangs that we are seeing and operating within the prison system. It's gone up by 15 to 34 in the past years.
How effective is the policy of separating rival gangs across prisons such as Mountjoy Prison, Wheatfield Prison and indeed Portlaoise?
service use is they use a colour coded system to stop rival gangs from mixing during things like exercise or maybe in the eating area. So actually the prison service are very effective at this. They've been very successful at stopping potential violence.
breaking out within the prison and they use de-escalation techniques which have proven to be very good over the last number of years because they have seen an increase. I mean, currently there's 172 members of gangs across the state and prison And we're also seeing a rise in the numbers within prison and it actually exceeds capacity by 15%. Daily averages have increased by 7.8% in 2024.
So the prison service themselves are dealing with an overpopulation as well as everything else. And that can lead to increased violence, like 37% of prisoners on prison assaults have increased and gang activity does increase. alongside all of the other issues that come with prison overcrowding.
Well, that prison overcrowding must also make it more and more difficult to try and keep these gang members separate.
Yeah, without a doubt. Actually, prison overcrowding can turn a prison into a survival environment rather than a rehabilitation environment, which is what our prisons are designed to do because it reduces access to things like education, training, therapies, and it focuses all of the resources solely on containment.
um and and it cannot it also is dehumanization of the prisoner themselves like the living conditions are cramped spaces cells are designed for far fewer occupants some cells are getting bunked now where they normally would be single uh occupancy and it's a health and safety crisis as well because even down to sanitary facilities there's a lack of
adequate sanitary facilities and then I suppose crucially for prisoners the mental health decline is there so you know in one report it was reported that 33% of prisoners were on a waiting list waiting on therapy and this can lead to higher rates of self-harm and it can also lead to more bullying as well because people in mental health crisis are more vulnerable.
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