Andrew Boylan
Question:203 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he intends to recruit for the Prison Service. [11021/01]
Written Answers - Prison Staff.
Since September 1997, 846 Prison Officers have been recruited to the prison service to cover the operation of the new prisons at the Curragh, Castlerea, Cloverhill, The Dochas Centre for women at Mountjoy and the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise. Allowing for natural wastage, the strength of the service has increased in this period from 2,427 to 3,229. The last recruitment competition for prison officers was held in 1998 and the Civil Service Commission has written to the next 150 candidates on the panel formed after this competition and interviews will be held later this month. It is planned to hold a new recruitment competition in the autumn.