Prison officers in talks bid to halt row

PROTESTING prison officers are due to meet senior management in the next two days in a bid to defuse a bitter dispute over alleged bullying and sexual harassment.

Officers attached to Castlerea Prison in Roscommon claim that serious allegations, some made over a year ago, have still not been dealt with by the Irish Prison Service.

Allegations include the bullying of a prison officer, who is out on continuing sick leave, and the alleged sexual harassment of a female officer by notorious criminal Joseph ‘Cotton Eye’ Delaney.

An hour-long stoppage yesterday was the first industrial action in the prison service for 15 years.

“These are very settled and senior prison officers. They are reluctant to go on any form of industrial action, but have been forced to do so because of the length of time these issues have been ongoing,” said Eugene Dennehy of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA).

“These are serious allegations of bullying and sexual harassment and they have been outstanding for 12 months and longer.”

He said the POA had last March sought a written response from management to their complaints, but that they were still awaiting their response. Mr Dennehy said it was in the interests of all concerned - the accuser and the accused - for the allegations to be investigated quickly.

“When serious issues aren’t dealt with and allowed to fester, they lead to these kinds of situations. We feel we have been more than reasonable and more than patient.”

He said a meeting with the Irish Prison Service was to take place this week and he hoped management would deal with the problems.

“If they don’t enter into meaningful discussions we can up the ante, but we don’t want to do that. We want this resolved.”