Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the estimated full year cost of employing 185 new Recruit Prison Officers, as per the most recent PPC pay scales of 1 January 2024, is approximately €11 million.

These pay costs reflect salary and other allowances such as Operational Allowance (8% of annual salary). They also reflect other premium payments and the allocation of up to 360 additional hours as provided for in the Proposal for Organisational Change. Employers PRSI of 11.15% on total earnings is also factored into the overall pay cost of the 185 posts.

As is the case with the recruitment of new staff members to an organisation, in addition to the above salary costings, there are a number of ancillary non pay costs associated with the recruitment of a Recruit Prison Officer, such as training, accommodation and uniform. The total current cost for such non pay costs per Recruit Prison Officer is approximately €7,000, or approximately €1.3 million for 185 Recruit Prison Officers.