McDowell doubts ‘generous’ deal for officers

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell has admitted he had misgivings about what he described as the “extremely generous” deal offered to prison officers to solve the long-running overtime dispute.

The deal, offering between €45,000 and €69,000 for what in effect will mean a 48-hour week, was rejected by 70% of prison officers, despite their executive recommending acceptance.

Members of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) executive met yesterday with the Minister, who said he is pressing ahead with radical changes to the service.

Over the next week, two facilities, the Curragh in Kildare and Spike Island in Cork, are to close permanently and a bill to allow the privatisation of the prisoner escort service will be brought to the Seanad.

In addition, the governors of all prisons have been given strict limits on their budgets, beginning on May 2.

Mr McDowell said he had asked the governors to spread the budget cuts so they would not be concentrated in areas adversely affecting prisoner welfare.

“I am not going to allow the prisoners to be taken hostage for the maintenance of an overtime regime that is not sustainable,” said Mr McDowell.

However, budget caps already in place have resulted in cuts to services, including the partial closure of workshops, the abandonment of some pre-release programmes and the curtailment of visiting hours.

A further two open prisons, Shelton Abbey in Wicklow and Loughan House in Cavan, will be transferred out of the Irish Prison Service and turned into post-release centres, or halfway houses.

The POA is to hold its annual conference next week, at which the views of members on issues such as industrial action or the possibility of another ballot will be gauged and instructions to the executive issued.

After the meeting with the Minister, POA General Secretary John Clinton said: “This is a time for calm and clear heads.”

The POA is opposed to the closure of the prisons and claimed privatising the escorts may increase management costs, not lower them.

Mr Clinton said there were numerous reasons members rejected the deal, but that many were not prepared to work the extra hours “forever and a day.”

Mr McDowell said it would be very unfortunate if the prison officers take industrial action but that contingency plans are in place, with members of the Defence Forces and gardaí updating plans initially drawn up at the end of 2003.