Almost 50 inmates were moved from the Curragh prison in Co Kildare today in the first phase of Government plans to close the facility.

The Government is reportedly planning to press ahead with the threatened closure of two state prisons following the collapse of talks over the prison overtime system.

TWO State prisons in Cork and Kildare will close their doors tomorrow after last-minute talks to resolve the impasse over prison officer’s overtime pay broke down in failure last night.

FOUR prisons face closure in a programme of shutdowns to begin in January unless agreement is reached in the overtime dispute with prison officers, prison bosses warned yesterday.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell could close four prisons if officers don’t accept a plan to reduce the annual €60m overtime bill.