Prison Service to pay €85k over discrimination

The Irish Prison Service has been ordered to pay a total of €85,000 in compensation after the Equality Tribunal ruled it had discriminated against three female staff in promotion competitions on grounds of gender.

Prison officer Anne Delaney was awarded €40,000 after being turned down for three separate promotions over a 10-year period as well as being discouraged from taking up a post by a prison’s deputy governor in one instance where she had been promoted.

The tribunal heard that Ms Delaney — who worked as a prison officer at the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, during a 20-year career in the Prison Service — claimed she was never placed on the permanent roster for the post of assistant chief officer (ACO) despite being placed on the top of the panel to fill the role. As a result, Ms Delaney never received the accompanying allowance.