Transfer of four prison officers to Cork
Harte asked whether four officers transferred to Cork were being sent against their will, possibly because they would not work voluntary overtime. The Minister said he knew nothing of the allegation and could not assure him; the exchange ended without an answer on whether he had signed the transfer order.
Does the Minister recognise the difficulty in the rostering system in which prison officers still do voluntary overtime, and would the Minister explain why four prison officers were transferred to Cork this week——
Comment on this
Can the Minister assure us that these four men are not being sent against their will?
Comment on this
I do not know anything about what the Deputy is alleging and I cannot give him such an assurance. The Deputy is long enough in the House to know that this is an entirely separate question.
Comment on this
The question relates to conditions in the prisons. The Minister has acknowledged that there has been difficulty in recruiting staff. If four people are being transferred against their will because they would not do voluntary overtime——