Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 347: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether it will be possible to furnish a reply to Question No. 372 of 31 May 2005 before the Dáil goes into recess. [23184/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I refer to Question No. 372 and have set out below the information requested in relation to sick leave in 2004 for the Irish Prison Service, the probation and welfare service and the Courts Service. I am still awaiting the information for the Garda Síochána. When I receive it, I will forward it to the Deputy directly.

I have given the percentage of total man days lost instead of man hours lost as this is a more accurate reflection.

I am gravely concerned about the level of sick leave in the Irish Prison Service which, as the figures provided indicate, is almost three times greater than that in the probation and welfare service and more than three times greater than that in the Courts Service. These figures serve to underscore my absolute determination to reform and modernise work practices and procedures in the Irish Prison Service which, among other things, have given rise to unsustainable and unacceptable levels of overtime working.