Two days after a brazen prison break, public security ministers past and present are arguing whether adequate security measures are in place.

On Saturday evening a helicopter landed at the Orsainville Detention Centre near Quebec City and three convicts, namely Yves Denis, 35, Denis Lefebvre, 53, and Serge Pomerleau, 49, climbed aboard and fled the prison.

Premier Philippe Couillard said the top priority is catching the escaped men.

“The priority today is to capture those individuals again so they do not harm anyone,” he said. “Once we will do this and of course now we have to look at the reasons underlying what happened for a second time in two years, which is rather unexpected.”

In March 2013, several other inmates escaped in a similar fashion, when a helicopter lowered a ladder into a prison courtyard.

Now politicians are arguing about whether enough was done after the first escape, or if the Parti Quebecois government of the time ignored the problem.

“Is there a plan is in place that ensures there will be no third escape with a helicopter?” said CAQ leader Francois Legault.

Former public security minister Stephane Bergeron said after the 2013 escape the provincial government ruled out buying nets to cover courtyards, but instead decided to install cables or wires to prevent helicopters from making a landing.

"This type of escape is so rare," said Bergeron, who said the PQ didn’t skip on costs. “It's not a question of cost because we were in a process of putting some measures forward.”

However he said on Monday that the federal government failed to heed requests to impose no-fly zones over prisons, and implement cell-phone blocking in prisons in order to deter escape attempts.

Current Public Security Minister Lise Theriault said cables and wires have been purchased but obviously have yet to be installed. She also said a plan is in place, which she couldn’t speak about.

“It is as ifI came and told the bandits (the plans) and I gave them the keys,” said Theriault.

Meanwhile officials are trying to figure out why the three men who escaped were permitted more freedoms in recent weeks.

Prison guards union president Mathieu Lavoie said until last week all three inmates were considered serious flight risks and so had to wear handcuffs and restraints when going into the courtyard.

In recent weeks those restrictions were dropped and all three were allowed outside without restraints, after a judge granted a request from the prisoners’ lawyers.

Pomerleau was also given computer access.

“No the ministry didn't drop the ball,” said Theriault. “I think the prisoners asked to have fewer securities measures, they put in a request and a judge decided that. At Orsainville they just applied the decision.”

Legault said people around the world are laughing at Quebec's aerial prison breaks

“To see somebody who can get in so easily and we still don’t know where the people are,” he said.

The public security minister said all of Quebec's 23 detention centres have been ordered to tighten security.

Denis, Lefebvre and Pomerleau were arrested in 2011 and were awaiting trial for the murders of Johnny Coutu in Laval, Kevin Walter in Rouyn-Norada and Benoit Denis in St. Alphonse.

Pomerleau is also accused of drug trafficking and his lawyer was scheduled to appear in court Monday as that case continued.

All three men have been added to Quebec's most-wanted list.