asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the exact procedure followed when disciplinary steps are being taken against a prison officer; whether the officer in question is entitled to any representation; whether statements are taken from the officer in question; the purposes for which these statements can be used in the future; and whether it is intended establishing a code of discipline for prison officers in the foreseeable future.
Written Answers. - Discipline of Prison Officers.
61.
If initial inquiries warrant such a course, a prison officer is charged in writing with a breach of prison discipline and asked to respond to the charge. On receipt of the written response to the charge it may be necessary to seek further information or statements from the officer or other persons.The officer is given copies of all statements and documents relevant to the charge. At this stage, depending on the nature of the evidence, it may be decided not to take any further action or the officer may be warned. Otherwise the case is submitted to the Minister who decides what disciplinary penalty should be imposed. The penalty may be a repnmand, a fine, a reduction in pay, demotion or, ultimately, dismissal which, in the case of established officers, is a matter for the Government. At the conclusion of the proceedings all statements and documents are retained in personnel files.
As regards representation, it is open to a charged officer to obtain advice before replying to a charge and it is open to interested parties, such as the officer's staff association, to write on behalf of the officer. The officer must, however, personally reply in writing to any charges.
A new code of discipline for prison officers is under discussion with the Prison Officers' Association at present.