Why can’t McDowell deal like Brennan?

SOME weeks ago, in an effort to resolve the overtime issue in the prison service, the Prison Officers Association invested a great deal of time and money to produce a package of proposals based on productivity.

These would have resulted in savings of in excess of 30 million the same amount that the Justice Minister Michael McDowell's proposals are expected to save, but without the closure of four prisons.

Prison management dismissed the POA proposals without the benefit of due consideration.