Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 137: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which adequate prison officers are available in view of the current number of prisoners serving sentences at various prisons throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30030/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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There has been a significant level of staff retirements across the public sector as a whole over the past year with the Prison Service being no exception. The moratorium on public sector recruitment also applies to the Prison Service. While some of the retirements have been offset by a certain level of sanctioned recruitment, the Prison Service has nonetheless had to absorb significant staff losses.

Any shortfall in staffing is managed on an ongoing basis in line with the manpower planning strategy of each prison. The Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, also referred to as the Croke Park Agreement, has put in place a transformation programme as part of the prison reform programme enabling the Prison Service to continue to deliver services at the same or an enhanced level notwithstanding reductions in staff numbers in each prison.