Prisons could close following breakdown of talks

SOME prisons may be closed following the breakdown of talks last night between the Prison Service and the Prison Officers’ Association on the abolition of overtime which stands at €60 million per annum.

The talks’ facilitators said the rate of progress on the overtime bill was insufficient to bring the process to a successful conclusion.

“We were in a situation where had the full wish list of the Prison Officers’ Association been met we would, in my view, have had a more expensive prison system than that which currently obtains,” Prison Service director Sean Aylward said.