Prisons set for drug sniffer dogs

THE Irish prison service is set to enlist the support of sniffer dogs from the North to weed out drugs in the country’s jails.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service has agreed to supply several “passive drug dogs” which will operate in the jails.

Officials from the Irish Prison Service are understood to have visited the North’s prison service training college at Millisle in County Down to inspect facilities.

It will be at those facilities that Irish officers will be enrolled on a six-week training programme.

During their instruction, the officers will be paired with the dog with which they will work.

At the end of the course, officers will be certified and will then be required to undergo refresher training and re-certification twice yearly.

Those officers who take on the role, will be paid a special handling allowance.

According to the BBC, a Northern Ireland Prison Service spokesman said it would be reimbursed for the training costs.

Passive drug dogs are used to detect drugs on people entering and leaving prisons.

The agreement between the two jurisdictions will allow the Irish Prison Service to progress plans to set up a special dog unit, aimed at tackling the supply of drugs to prisoners.

The Government’s strategy will mean more than 30 dog-handling teams for Ireland’s prisons, with eight of those located at Mountjoy in Dublin, six at the Wheatfield/Cloverhill complex in the west of the city and six at the Portlaoise/Midlands facility.