John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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639. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if retired prison officers are being employed on a contract basis in the prison system; if so, if there are age restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38227/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service has recently run a competition to recruit Retired Prison Officers on short term contracts for a maximum period of six months to perform duties at Prison Officer level. Those recruited will not exceed age 60, by the end of their contract, which is the compulsory age of retirement of a Prison Officer.

This is a short term measure to facilitate operational service pressures caused by a rise in retirements until such a time as sufficient recruitment of full time permanent Prison Officers has been completed. It is intended to recruit approximately 87 new Recruit Prison Officers this year and a further 216 Recruit Prison Officers in 2018.