Prison officers ‘prolong leave for compo’

PRISON officers prolong their recovery period from injuries received on the job in the hope of getting higher compensation, prison bosses said yesterday.

The revelation came amid a further escalation of the bitter dispute between Justice Minister Michael McDowell and the Prison Officers Association.

Sick leave accounts for 15% of prisons overtime, costing around €9 million a year, the Dáil Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday.