The latest report from the Irish Prison Service shows that there was almost a 9% increase in the number of people sent to prison last year.

A total of 13,987 people were given a prison sentence in 2015, up from 12,853 in the previous year.

The highest proportion of these – more than 4,700 – were due to road and traffic offences, while more than 1,600 of the sentences were for offences against the state or organised crime.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald also launched a strategic plan to improve the prison service from now until 2021, and acknowledged “very serious issues” needed to be addressed.