Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 379: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount paid to prison officers by way of overtime in each of the past four years; and the amount paid to date in 2005. [36876/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Irish Prison Service overtime expenditure is set out as follows:

I am pleased to inform the Deputy I have reversed the unacceptable trend of spiralling overtime costs, which has been a feature of our prisons operations for many years. As a result of my determination to tackle this unsustainable dependence on overtime to run our prisons there was a reduction in the overtime bill of €13.4 million in 2004 compared to 2003.

However, prison officers have, following prolonged negotiations, accepted a proposal for organisational change in the Prison Service which will eliminate overtime working and its replacement with a new additional hours system. This new system, which has been introduced in four institutions and will be phased in to the remaining institutions before the end of February 2006, will substantially reduce the cost of extra attendance in the Prison Service. The introduction of the proposal for organisational change will contribute to a more efficient and effective Prison Service going forward.