O'Donoghue pledges to cut prison overtime bill

The Minister for Justice has described the current overtime difficulties being experienced by the prison service as "unsustainable".

Speaking at the Prison Officers Association's annual conference in Kilkenny, John O'Donoghue said that the issue of people working 70 hours per week could not go on.

He added that he had asked the Director General of the Prison Service to bring the situation to an end.

Last year, £38m was spent on overtime for prison officers, more than half the basic pay of prison staff.

Minister O'Donoghue that a recruitment campaign to enlist a further 150 officers is ongoing in an effort to bring staffing levels more into line with other countries.