asked the Minister for Justice if he will give the following details in relation to members of the prison service: (1) if personnel are rostered for duty on a regular basis or on a fixed period basis and, if so, the period indicating whether it is weekly, monthly etc; (2) the rostering arrangements, including hours worked, etc; (3) if there is a maximum continuous period of duty above which personnel may not work and, if so, the number of hours etc; (4) if personnel have rest days and the number of such days; (5) the amount of annual leave which members have in a year; and (6) all other leave, transfer leave, sick leave or special leave, allowed.
Written Answers. - Prison Service Personnel.
265.
(1) Those officers in the prison service who have seven-day liability are rostered for duty for periods ranging from three days to a month, depending on the institution.
Staff in the clerical, trades and industrial grades work a five-day, Monday to Friday, week.
(2) Staff with seven-day liability are rostered in turn for a range of duties. The earliest of these duties require that officers report for work at 7 a.m. and the latest duty commences at 10.30 p.m. However, most of the officers on duty on any particular day start work at 8 a.m.
Staff who work a five-day week start work each day at times varying between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and finish at times varying between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. depending on the institution in which they are working. Without overtime, staff in the prison service work an eight-hour (net) day.
(3) There is no prescribed maximum continuous period of duty.
(4) Staff with seven-day liability have two rostered rest days per week plus one additional rest day, to a maximum of three for each complete week's leave taken.
(5) Annual leave entitlement for prison service personnel is as follows:
|
Grade |
Entitlement working days |
Entitlement expressed in terms of calendar weeks |
|
Prison Officer/Trades Officer |
18 days on entry rising to 21 days after five years' service |
Three weeks and three days, rising to four weeks and one day after five years' service |
|
Chief Trades Officer II |
21 days |
Four weeks and one day |
|
Assistant Chief Officer |
21 days |
Four weeks and one day |
|
Clerk II |
21 days |
Four weeks and one day |
|
Chief Trades Officer I |
21 days |
Four weeks and one day |
|
Clerk I |
24 days |
Four weeks and four day |
|
Chief Officer II |
24 days |
Four weeks and four day |
|
Chief Officer I |
42 days |
Six weeks |
|
Assistant Governor |
42 days |
Six weeks |
|
Deputy Governor |
42 days |
Six weeks |
|
Governor |
42 days |
Six weeks |
Transfer leave: Special leave for a period not exceeding three days may be allowed to householders who qualify for recoupment of removal expenses.
Sick leave: Sick leave may be allowed at full-pay up to six months in any period of 12 months and at half-pay thereafter, subject to an overriding limit of 12 months' sick leave in any period of four years or less.
Special leave: Special leave may be granted for a number of reasons in accordance with arrangements which apply to civil servants generally. The main purposes for which special leave may be allowed are — marriage, staff association business, domestic difficulties, such as the death or serious illness of a near relative, to study and sit for certain examinations, and maternity.