asked the Minister for Justice the cost saving to his Department in salaries during the prison officers' dispute, and whether this saving can be used in his Department to provide much needed education facilities in our prisons.
Written Answers. - Departmental Savings.
12.
The saving on prison officers' pay during the four weeks of the recent strike is provisionally estimated at £2.5 million. However, this saving would have been offset by additional expenditure which arose primarily on Garda overtime.
As to the question of education facilities, I am satisfied that there is adequate provision in this area. In all, about 130 teachers (equivalent to 97 whole-time teachers) from eight vocational education committees are involved in prison education as well as other agencies such as the Open University. While salaries are paid out of the Department of Education's Vote, there is an allocation of £235,000 in the Prisons Vote to cover fees, equipment and materials for education and libraries in the prisons.