The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has said it is "deeply concerned" by the issues raised in a report published today by the Council of Europe, which found that many of Ireland's prisons are unsafe.
The report found that many of the State's prisons are unsafe and degrading for prisoners and staff due to a growing culture of violence, worsening drug problems and poor physical conditions.
Inspectors from the council's human rights watchdog, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, also found significant evidence of verbal and physical mistreatment of people in Garda custody.
It concluded that the culture of violence in Mountjoy and Limerick prisons and St Patrick's Institution for Young Offenders meant they were unsafe for both prisoners and staff.
In a statement released today the IHRC said it is "disappointed to see that issues such as the physical conditions in our prisons, including: the issue of slopping out; the treatment of mentally ill prisoners; and the absence of an effective system of accountability in our prisons remain unresolved".
Acting chief executive Des Hogan said: "the human rights concerns and dangers to prisoners and staff identified in this report demand immediate and urgent action".
Amnesty International Irish Section said that the report confirmed the completely inadequate way in which the needs of offenders with mental health problems are met in prisons.
Fiona Crowley of AI said: "A study of young male offenders in detention schools, published in May by UCD, found that 83 per cent had at least one mental illness, the vast majority of whom do not receive any treatment".
The group also called on offenders with mental health problems to be diverted away from the penal system to mental health services as one of the ways to address overcrowding.
In a response to the report the Prison Officers Association (POA) said that Irish prisons are outdated and, in many cases, "underfunded and underesourced", leading to massive problems within the system.
The POA said it is continuing to press the Irish Prison Service "to provide resources and facilities to cater adequately for all persons involved in our prisons".
The POA, who did not receive a copy of the report, said it was difficult to respond in a "meaningful way" as most of the allegations were made are by unidentified persons.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael called on the Government to hold a special debate in the Dáil on the report.
