Officers need to be more realistic

FOLLOWING the failure of talks with the Prison Officers Association (POA), Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Michael McDowell has announced contingency plans for the mothballing of two prisons — Fort Mitchell on Spike Island and the Curragh Place of Detention — as well as the closure of two other prisons, Shelton Abbey and Loughan House, both of which are due to be privatised.

The prison officers and prisoners in these institutions will be transferred to other prisons during January and February, which leaves a small window of opportunity for resolving the outstanding issues.

However, the minister has indicated that there is a considerable gap between the two sides, as the POA demands are in breach of public pay policy and the terms of the Sustaining Progress partnership agreement.