Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of staff who attend for work at the Curragh and Fort Mitchel prisons; the circumstances which prevail at both locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28513/04]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the basis on which overtime payments are made to staff at the Curragh and Fort Mitchel prisons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28514/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.

Because of security reasons and the need to carry out essential maintenance, a small cohort of prison staff continue to be assigned to duties at both the Curragh and Fort Mitchel places of detention. There are currently 11 and 12 staff serving at the Curragh and Fort Mitchel respectively. Any overtime payments to the staff who continue to be assigned to these places of detention are made on the same basis as overtime payments at all other locations in the Irish Prison Service. Had they not been kept on site, the Prison Service would have had to retain private security firms which would have incurred additional costs. However, since the mothballing of these institutions, the Prison Service has been able to secure a saving of over €6 million in respect of pay costs of both facilities for the first nine months of 2004, when compared to the same nine-month period in 2003.

The mothballing of the Curragh and Fort Mitchel places of detention continues to achieve the Government's objective of significantly reducing overtime levels in the Prison Service. The staff from these institutions have been redeployed to effect overtime savings in other Prison Service institutions.

The staffing arrangements of both places of detention are being kept under continuing review and any decision in relation to the future of both places of detention will have regard to the ongoing discussions between the Irish Prison Service and the Prison Officers Association in relation to eliminating overtime and reducing other costs. These discussions are close to being concluded and I am hopeful that an agreement will be finalised in the next month or so and that staff will ballot for acceptance.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the purposes of closing the Curragh and Fort Mitchel prisons have been achieved in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28515/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy will be aware that the mothballing of the Curragh Place of Detention and Fort Mitchel Place of Detention was the subject of a Government decision on 11 November 2003. That decision approved a series of measures to be taken on a rolling basis with effect from 1 January, 2004 in the event of failure to reach agreement with the Prison Officers Association on a change agenda aimed at eliminating overtime payments and reducing other costs in the Irish Prison Service.

The reasons for the Government decision have been well aired in the House and in the Seanad. I refer the Deputy to the Adjournment debates in this House on 12, 18 and 27 November 2003 and to an Adjournment debate in the Seanad on 19 November 2003. In the course of those debates, I made it clear that the Irish Prison Service could not continue to spend public money to feed a chronic overtime culture while sustaining outdated and inefficient work practices. I also made it clear that I had no desire to close or mothball prisons and that my preference was for a mutually advantageous agreement with the Prison Officers Association which would ensure an efficient and cost effective prison service into the future. My position has not changed in that regard.

Regarding progress towards eliminating overtime and reducing other costs, extensive discussions between the Irish Prison Service and the Prison Officers Association are close to being concluded and I am hopeful that an agreement will be finalised in the next month or so and that staff will ballot for acceptance. A decision on the future of both the Curragh and Fort Mitchel will have regard to this process. The mothballing of the Curragh and Fort Mitchel places of detention continues to achieve the Government's objective of significantly reducing overtime levels in the Prison Service. The staff from these institutions have been redeployed to effect overtime savings in other Prison Service institutions. On the conclusion of the current industrial relations process and the signing of a formal agreement with staff to eliminate the overtime culture in the Prison Service for the future, the temporary closure of the Curragh and Fort Mitchel will be reviewed.