Govt to go ahead with prison closures

The Government is reportedly planning to press ahead with the threatened closure of two state prisons following the collapse of talks over the prison overtime system.

The closures of Spike Island and the Curragh Prison are part of a plan the Government threatened to implement unless prison officers and the Prison Service negotiated a new, less expensive overtime system.

The plan also includes the privatisation of the escort service currently provided by prison officers.

The Department of Justice decided to press ahead with the controversial measures after talks between the Prison Service and the Prison Officers Association collapsed at the Labour Relation Commission yesterday.

The two sides were discussing ways to reduce the annual €60m overtime bill in Irish prisons.

They are due to meet again on January 12th and the prison officers have expressed disappointment that the Government decided to take unilateral action while both sides were still working to resolve their differences.