Public must get value for money

Justice Minister Michael McDowell seems determined to continue to play tough with the prison officers on the question of the unsustainable level of overtime they earn, which runs to the region of €60 million.

It is, of course, a figure which is incredible sounding to the average taxpayer but it is also something now which is endemic in the service. Without a doubt, the minister concentrated the minds of people with a statistic stating that nine prison officers earned over €1 million between them last year in pay and allowances.

The officers declined the minister's suggestion of annualised hours, and he is now talking about giving prisons their own individual budgets from next January.