asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí now on duty in prisons arising directly from the prison officers strike; and the estimated weekly cost of providing the gardaí.
Written Answers. - Gardaí on Prison Duty.
72.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that, as a result of the Prison Officers' strike, a daily average of about 1,020 members of the Garda Síochána are assigned to duty in the prisons. The additional weekly cost to the State of this operation is provisionally estimated at about £170,000. This figure represents the additional cost involved to the Garda Síochána Vote (provisionally estimated at about £800,000 per week), less the saving involved on the Prisons Vote (provisionally estimated to be of the order of £630,000 per week).