Seven prisoners transferred from Spike in closure move

SEVEN prisoners were transferred from Spike Island in County Cork yesterday under the Government’s plan to close the jail by the end of the month.

The switch to St Patrick’s Institution in Dublin was ordered by Justice Minister Michael McDowell as part of his strategy to halve the prison’s overtime bill from €64 million to €30 million.

The Prison Officers' Association described the move as provocative, given that talks aimed at resolving the overtime row are continuing.

Finbarr O’Leary, governor of Fort Mitchell in Cork harbour, said he expected the remaining 40 inmates to be transferred next week.

The seven prisoners moved off the island jail yesterday were 16-and 17-year-olds.

“Of those remaining in the jail, around half a dozen will be transferred to St Patrick’s with the others going to Cork and Limerick prisons,” said Mr O’Leary. “Most of those remaining are under 25. They come from all parts of the country, but are mainly from Munster.”

The governor, who has been in charge of Fort Mitchell for 18 years, stressed the closure was only a temporary measure, but he acknowledged he didn’t know how long it would last.

Mr O’Leary said that he would remain on the island to carry out administrative duties while the vast majority of his 95 staff would transfer to Limerick and Cork prisons.

The Prison Officers’ Association criticised the decision to start transferring prisoners from Spike Island yesterday. A spokesman for the association said members were angered and found it incredible that Mr McDowell and the Prison Service were going ahead with the closures while the talks process was still ongoing.

“Essentially it is an attempt to bully our members into accepting proposals which have been rejected by 94% of them,” the spokesman said. He claimed the “flawed and outdated” industrial relations approach adopted by the minister and the Prison Service would not work. “They should focus on talks and less on scare tactics.”Both sides met at the Labour Relations Commission last Monday and talks have continued. A source close to the talks said it was a difficult process, but some progress has been made.