David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 461: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of the prison officers who were transferred from Spike Island in Cork; the number of prison officers who have been permanently located in other prisons; if compensation has been paid or will be paid on re-location of these prison officers to other prisons on a permanent basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30019/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I refer the Deputy to my response to Question No. 137 on 19 May, 2005 and to Question No. 961 on 28 September 2005 in which I outlined the position of staff who were previously employed at Fort Mitchel. As I indicated previously, I understand that the director general of the Irish Prison Service is addressing the issue of the permanent redeployment of Fort Mitchel staff in the context of the implemen-tation of the proposal for organisational change in the Irish Prison Service. To date, one officer has been assigned to Mountjoy Prison and one officer to Limerick Prison. There were also two officers assigned to Portlaoise Prison. The issue of the permanent assignment of the other staff previously assigned to Fort Mitchel will be addressed in the coming months having regard to the phased implementation of the change programme.

I do not propose to make any compensatory payments to the staff concerned. However, some officers may be entitled to claim certain expenses under the provisions of Department of Finance circular 6/1989.