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Avocados, Cadbury Milk Tray and Starbucks coffee pods on order at Portlaoise prison
Avocados, almond milk, and grapefruit are among the items on the menu for subversive prisoners at the country’s top high-security jail.
Under special arrangements for jailed paramilitaries at Portlaoise Prison, inmates can order in whatever they want — apart from alcohol.
Order sheets reveal the highly specific tastes of the subversives, with prisoners stocking up on eclairs, wine gums, Tayto crisps, and Fanta orange for pre-Christmas celebrations.
One request slip from December 21 asked for the purchase of spray cream, Lindt hot chocolate, and marshmallows to top off the hot cocoa treat.
Another for €18.70 on the same date sought a box of Christmas cards, microwavable porridge, two pizzas, cocktail sausages, and a pack of chicken goujons.
Prisoners also planned a Christmas fry, splashing out €43.20 on sausages, black and white pudding, mushrooms, hash browns, and smoked rashers.
Selection boxes were also on the menu with one order sheet seeking two large Galaxy selection boxes and a Cadbury Medium Santa selection.
Prisoners kept up to date on specials available in local shops, saying a large box of Tunnock’s tea cakes should be bought at the “offer only” price of €9.99.
Prisoners said a large box of Tunnock’s tea cakes should be bought at the 'offer only' price of €9.99
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An order sheet from December 23 asked for 10 Cadbury Milk Trays, each costing €4.40, but that if they were not available prisoners would make do with Ferrero Rocher instead.
Also on that list were a 12-pack of Lucozade cans, Dr Oetker pizzas, a pack of potato wedges, and a large pack of Crunchy Nut cornflakes.
A Christmas Eve order sought Starbucks coffee pods for making lattes on a Dolce Gusto coffee machine.
The prisoners also requested a pack of Magnum Double Gold Caramel Billionaire ice creams, and multi-packs of Lucozade Sport and chewing gum.
It wasn’t all junk food and treats however, with some prisoners seeking healthier options. One order from December 29 listed a request for a small bottle of cod liver oil capsules, a bottle of honey, and a less-healthy 30g pack of Amber Leaf tobacco.
Another from mid-December sought a five-litre bottle of still water, a grapefruit, an avocado, toothpaste, and a pack of cigarette filters.
The order sheets, which were released under FOI legislation and cover the last two weeks of 2021, detail expenditure upwards of €1,200.
Since 1973, Portlaoise has had special arrangements for subversives for “historical and political reasons”.
There are currently 215 prisoners at the high-security jail out of a bed capacity of 291, an occupancy rate of 74pc. Of those, 13 are housed on E Block, which has traditionally been used for paramilitaries, while 31 are on A Block, which houses dangerous criminals and gangland figures.
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