Governors get €90,000 for running empty jails

TWO prison governors are being paid €90,000 a year each a year for running empty prisons.

As part of the Government's plan to reduce the Prison Service's €60 million overtime bill, Spike Island and the Curragh prisons closed earlier this year.

However, it has emerged that the governor of Spike Island, Finbarr O'Leary, and the governor of the Curragh, Sylvester Salley, have continued in their posts.

Spokesperson for the Prison Service Jim Mitchell confirmed both men "are still based in these locations working on other areas".

Mr Mitchell also said a handful of staff are being kept on for essential maintenance, protection of records and security.

The Prison Service claims the closure of Spike Island and the Curragh prisons had enabled it cut a €60m overtime bill in half.

Mr Mitchell said the closures and relocation of prison officers and prisoners meant that for the first time in its history, the service was operating on budget and had cut overtime costs.

Close to 200 officers have been kept on "temporary transfer" since January, receiving varied mileage rates upwards of €35.71 cent per mile. For the Curragh's 75 officers alone, the minimum allowance for a 40-mile round trip five days a week would amount to €5,250. Yet the Prison Officers Association (POA) insists officers are not being paid their proper allowances.

"We are of the view there is an entitlement by those staff to appropriate 'out of pocket' expenses. The reality is some prison officers are expected to travel 120 miles round trip to work," a POA spokesperson said.

However, the Prison Service disputed suggestions that prison officers who are now traveling to Limerick, Cork and Portlaoise prisons were receiving sub-standard mileage and subsistence allowances.

"The rates are in accordance with the Department of Finance regulations. We could simply have made the transfers permanent, but we didn't," Mr Mitchell added.

Protracted talks are continuing at the Labour Relations Commission between the POA and the Irish Prison Service aimed at reducing the costs of running the country's prisons.

Prison officers rejected an annual payment of €10,000 in exchange for working up to 360 non-rostered hours. The payment would be made even if the hours were not worked.

Last year, prison officers made an average of €19,000 in overtime.