Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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512. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details of the criteria for the awarding of medals of merit to the staff of the Irish Prison Service. [62047/22]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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513. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if similar criteria apply to awarding medals of merit to prison staff as in the case of An Garda Síochána; and if not, if she will explain the rationale. [62048/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 513 together.

While there are similarities between the arrangements in place to recognise merit and bravery in An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison service respectively, both schemes operate separately and according to the policies and procedures established by the organisation in question.

In terms of the specific arrangements which apply in the Irish Prison Service, I can advise the Deputy that following significant consultation with stakeholders and other agencies, the Irish Prison Service Staff Recognition Policy came into effect on 1 June 2013. The introduction of the scheme was publicised through official Irish Prison Service communication channels and the official newsletter of the Prison Officers Association.

The original Policy recognised staff for their long service and included the Merit Award Scheme which recognised acts of bravery, outstanding heroism or merit which have been performed by staff of the Irish Prison Service. Under the Merit Awards there are three levels of award, depending on the degree of bravery, heroism or merit, beyond the normal expectation of the member of staff and taking account their experience and training.

The Merit Awards Scheme operates as a graded system to recognise the range of brave and heroic actions and awards include the Stack Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Governor's Commendation.

The Stack Medal was introduced under the policy in June 2013 and is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a member of staff of the Irish Prison Service. The Stack Medal is presented to a staff member by the serving Minister for Justice in recognition of an act of exceptional personal bravery by the nominee.

The Distinguished Service Medal which was also introduced in June 2013 and is an award which can be bestowed upon a member of staff of the Irish Prison Service by the Director General. There is also the Governor's Commendation which may be issued where a particular deed of staff member merits official recognition but would not meet the threshold to be awarded the Stack or Distinguished Services Medal.

By the end of 2015, two Stack Medals, 60 Distinguished Services Medals and 90 Governor’s Commendations had been approved. This included nominations for cases that predated the introduction of the policy, as the 2013 Policy did not specify any specific deadline for the submission of applications.

In 2017, the Irish Prison Service updated the Staff Recognition Policy, which introduced a number of changes including the introduction of a third element namely Excellence and Innovation Awards.

In addition, the revised Policy also included the provision that applications for Merit (Bravery) Awards must be received within 12 months of the incident or event occurring. This was to ensure that emphasis and focus was put on contemporary incidents and to ensure that such applications could be adequately scrutinised, including the review of available supporting material.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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514. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will outline the procedures for the dismissal of a staff member of the prison service, in particular, if she will state the person or body that should issue the notice; and the records and copies of documents of dismissals that are kept by her Department. [62050/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that all dismissals in the Irish Prison Service are subject to the Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 to 2005 and the Civil Service Disciplinary Code 2016. The final decision in relation to the dismissal of an employee of the Irish Prison Service rests with the Appropriate Authority as provided for in the Civil Service Regulations. The Appropriate Authority may be the Minister or the Secretary General of the Department of Justice depending on the grade of the staff member concerned.

The Human Resources Directorate of the Irish Prison Service manages the dismissal procedures on behalf of the Appropriate Authority and while the Appropriate Authority authorises the dismissal it is the Irish Prison Service who formally notifies the individual concerned. The records and associated documentation relating to the dismissal process are created, maintained and retained by the Human Resources Directorate in the IPS in line with the requirements of the process and in compliance with GDPR and other applicable data regulation.