I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.
Because of security reasons and the need to carry out essential maintenance, a small cohort of prison staff continue to be assigned to duties at both the Curragh and Fort Mitchel places of detention. There are currently 11 and 12 staff serving at the Curragh and Fort Mitchel respectively. Any overtime payments to the staff who continue to be assigned to these places of detention are made on the same basis as overtime payments at all other locations in the Irish Prison Service. Had they not been kept on site, the Prison Service would have had to retain private security firms which would have incurred additional costs. However, since the mothballing of these institutions, the Prison Service has been able to secure a saving of over €6 million in respect of pay costs of both facilities for the first nine months of 2004, when compared to the same nine-month period in 2003.
The mothballing of the Curragh and Fort Mitchel places of detention continues to achieve the Government's objective of significantly reducing overtime levels in the Prison Service. The staff from these institutions have been redeployed to effect overtime savings in other Prison Service institutions.
The staffing arrangements of both places of detention are being kept under continuing review and any decision in relation to the future of both places of detention will have regard to the ongoing discussions between the Irish Prison Service and the Prison Officers Association in relation to eliminating overtime and reducing other costs. These discussions are close to being concluded and I am hopeful that an agreement will be finalised in the next month or so and that staff will ballot for acceptance.