Prison officer ‘may lose home’ due to loss of income after making claims of malpractice

A whistleblower in the Irish Prison Service has written to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar complaining that his family is in danger of losing their home over financial penalties being imposed on him because he made claims of malpractice.

The prison officer’s case is currently before the Work Relations Commission, but it has been delayed because the prison service refused to accept he had made the protected disclosure despite the disclosure having been confirmed by a retired judge who investigated the matter.

The prison officer’s case was reviewed by judge William Early, who found that he had been penalised as a result of his disclosure in 2014 about unqualified personnel being appointed to specialist roles in one of the state’s prisons.