North: Crunch talks to take place in prison staff dispute

Prison officers’ representatives and the British Government are holding crunch talks today in a bid to end a bitter dispute which has plunged Northern Ireland’s jail system into turmoil.

Staff who fear for their safety after their details were found on computer discs seized during anti-IRA spying raids have already staged two walk-outs in protest at the personal protection packages on offer.

Union chiefs have warned more action is certain unless low-grade home security is offered to warders whose names were not on the files recovered two months ago.

Prison Officers Association spokesman Finlay Spratt will tell Security Minister Jane Kennedy during today’s meeting in Belfast that as little as £70,000 (€110,000) could end the row.

Safety schemes worth more than £20m (€31.3m) have already been made available to the 1,426 prison officers believed to be at risk following the disclosure.

But Mr Spratt insisted that about 200 staff whose families were put through weeks of anxiety before learning they were not on the list still needed minimum security.

He claimed the package of home lighting and alarms costs £700 (€1,100) to install and only half would request it.

He said: “The Prison Service is being thrown into chaos all for the sake of £70,000.

“That’s peanuts compared to what they are prepared to spend on officers whose names are on the list.

“If they agreed to this then I believe we solve all our difficulties.”