Overtime payouts must be cut

THE prison overtime row has taken a potentially explosive twist amid claims that staff who receive big payments have grown accustomed to a lifestyle epitomised by big houses, big mortgages, big cars and foreign holidays.

This charge, levelled by the Governor of Mountjoy Jail, has a sharper edge to it than any political utterance by Justice Minister Michael McDowell, who is locked on a collision course with the prison officers over the need to slash their huge overtime earnings.

In keeping with his reputation for calling a spade a spade, Governor John Lonergan yesterday told a conference of principal teachers some home truths about the manpower levels required to run the country's prisons.

Not mincing his words, he claimed staffing had been allowed to "rise up to the sky". Those working in the system, he added, must brace themselves for significant cuts and major reforms. And, on the contentious issue of overtime bills, he claimed they were "absolutely crazy" and a "pure waste of money".

Putting it up to prison officers, he reminded those with big cars, big mortgages, big houses and foreign holidays of the stark reality that going back on a basic wage with 100 or 200 allowance would mean a significant drop in living standards.

Depicting a grim scenario, he said it was inevitable that prisons might be closed. In order to reduce costs, staffing levels would have to be cut. Initially, the Government would close prisons like Spike Island, the Curragh and Lohan. After that, the minister would look at the cost of escorting prisoners to and from courts because costs will continue to mount.

Public perceptions of the overtime row will certainly be influenced by Mr Lonergan's account of starting in Limerick in 1968, when there were three staff within the prison, one in the outer hall and four staff in the evening time, along with one night guard. Today there are 15 night guards on duty for the same number of prisoners and around 100 staff on during the day.

Money, badly needed for building, education and training programmes, has been diverted to pay out €60 million in overtime. Today's staff are working what he called "wicked hours 90 and 100 hours a week".

While Mr Lonergan does not see privatisation of all prison services as the answer, his comments are sure to rekindle debate on this issue. In the short term, he warns that the role of escorting prisoners could be privatised.

For their part, prison officers will no doubt remind the Governor they only work overtime when required by management. Having rejected one proposed overtime formula as unacceptable, the Prison Officers' Association has put the ball back in management's court in an alternative deal to save between €25-30 million annually.

It would involve setting up a dedicated escort corps within the service, plus cellular transport systems allowing more prisoners to be moved by fewer staff. Manually operated prison gates would be controlled electronically.

Following Governor Lonergan's outspoken intervention, and with Mr McDowell's overtime deadline set for Sunday, the prospect of jail closures and privatisation of prison services remains on the cards.

With the overtime likely to top €64 million this year, the situation can no longer be tolerated. What taxpayers want is action not rhetoric. Overtime payments must be drastically reduced.