Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

A site for a new prison campus to replace the Mountjoy complex has been purchased. Deputy McDowell is also planning to build a new southern prison at Spike Island to replace the antiquated Cork Prison. Furthermore, work is under way to complete the introduction of humane special observation cells in all prisons, doing away with the former practice of distressed prisoners being kept in padded cells. The Minister will publish new prison rules in the coming weeks which will allow for mandatory drug testing and the enforcement of drug-free prisons.

Furthermore, there is no question of the Minister having any personal dispute with prison officers. The Minister, Deputy McDowell, and I have the height of admiration and respect for the dedication and commitment of prison officers in the delivery of their very challenging duties. It has long been recognised that the huge levels of expenditure on overtime in prisons are not sustainable and must be reduced. Unfortunately, when the Labour Party was last in government, it did absolutely nothing to tackle this problem, which diverts much-needed funds from important projects such as prisoner rehabilitation programmes and an accelerated prisons building programme.

Since the Minister took office in 2002, he has allowed ample space and time for a mutually acceptable negotiated settlement to be reached between the Irish Prison Service and the Prison Officers Association. Following the rejection of the earlier offer in October 2003, he agreed to use the full range of industrial relations machinery available in the State, including the conciliation services of the Labour Relations Commission and the ultimate arbitration facilities of the Civil Service Arbitration Board. That process continued over a 16-month period and involved long and difficult negotiations, leading to a substantial arbitration award recommendation. The deal included an 8% pensionable arbitration allowance and the payment of a lump sum of €13,750.

Unfortunately, the members of the Prison Officers Association did not follow the recommendation of their own executive and decided to reject the proposal for organisational change in the Prison Service. It must be clearly understood that no Minister can be in the business of renegotiating a proposal for organisational change which has already been arbitrated upon by the Civil Service Arbitration Board — perhaps Deputy Costello thinks that he should.

See this speech in context