asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the delay in payment of six weeks' wages in October-November 1983 to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin who is a prison officer; if he will arrange for payment to be made to him now having regard to the fact that any delay of a few days on his part in furnishing the necessary medical certificates was due to matters beyond his control and that it would be inequitable to deprive this officer of his entire wages for the relevant period.
Written Answers. - Prison Officer Wages.
546.
Limerick East): During the course of his sick absence in October-November 1983 the prison officer concerned was in breach of the sick leave regulations on several occasions by gross neglect of the requirement to get word to the institution or to send in the medical certificates within the specified periods. He had been warned on a number of occasions about his repeated failure to send in certificates on time. The officer was informed in December 1983 that he was forfeiting pay for the periods concerned in October and November 1983. The officer has since been in further breach of the regulations in respect of an absence in February-March 1984. Since the officer joined the service in July 1981 he has been absent from duty on sick leave on 128 days.