Prison doctors are to be balloted on industrial action this week over the Minister for Justice's failure to reorganise the prison healthcare service.
A Government-commissioned report published over two years ago recommended more funding for support systems and staff such as psychiatrists, addiction counsellors and social workers.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has met the Irish Prison Service since then, but proposals to reorganise the service have not been agreed.
Dr Hugh Gallagher, prison doctor with the IMO, said it was regrettable that they were being forced to ballot for industrial action, but that they had no option.
He said the structure and organisation of the prison healthcare service had been under-resourced for some time.
"A report on the general health of the Irish prisoner population indicated that all the mental health indicators were much worse for prisoners than the general population.
"It is also known that in comparison with the general population, there is a high incidence of psychiatric symptoms among prisoners," he said.
Prison doctors must return ballot papers before next Monday evening.
