Marc in hot water over prison officers’ meals
TD HITS BACK AT CLAIMS FROM PRISON OFFICERS’ ASSOCATION AND SAYS HE IS NOT UNDERMINING STAFF RIGHTS TO MEALS, CIARA GALVIN REPORTS
I AM ON THE SIDE OF THE ORDINARY HARD WORKING PRISON OFFICERS AND THE TAXPAYER... ASIAM SURE THE PRISON OFFICERS ASSOCIATION IS
FIANNA Fail TD Marc Mac Sharry has said he will fight against any action by the Irish Prison Service to undermine the provisions of hot meals for its staff.
The Sligo TD made the comments after coming under fire following his questioning of senior figures within the IPS at the Public Accounts Committee.
Mr Mac Sharry posed questions to the Director General of the Irish Prison Service, senior staff, and the Secretary General of the Department of Justice in relation to the appropriation accounts of the Prison Service.
Following this he has faced criticism by the Irish Prison Officers Trade Union, the IPOA, and their Sligo-based Deputy General Secretary Gabriel Keaveney.
In correspondence between the two men, Mr Keaveney alleges that Mr Mac Sharry’s questioning at the PAC would opportunistically be used by prison bosses to remove the capability for prison officers to obtain a hot meal while on duty.
Mac Sharry raised issues relating to the running of canteen services in nine of the country’s 12 prisons and especially the destination of any surplus funds generated by these canteens.
In an exclusive statement to The Sligo Champion, the TD said more questions were raised as a result of the questioning as nobody could explain where funds go and if even they are audited and accountable.
“The blank faces and vacant expression on the faces of Prison bosses when asked questions at the PAC meeting is a cause for concern. Perhaps everything is in order, and all necessary oversight, auditing and accountability are in place. If not, the situation must be addressed. It is as simple as that. I respect the Prison Officers Association Trade Union and expect they are as anxious to have these questions answered as I and the other members of the PAC are, ” the TD explained.
At the Public Accounts Committee on January 17 th the PAC were questioning related matters within the committee’s competence, including the contents of protected disclosures made by prison officers reporting alleged irregularities.
During an hour of robust questioning Mac Sharry raised allegations that he said were raised with him by numerous prison officers throughout the country. Allegations included alleged harassment, bullying, sexual assault, career blocking, misuse of prison vehicles and property and the private catering of parties for senior staff at the expense of ordinary prison officers and the tax payer.
Other questions were raised in relation to whether any excess income over expenditure is used for the benefit of ordinary prison officers as it seems was the intention, according to the TD.
Deputy Mac Sharry said, “The only focus here is addressing the concerns raised with PAC members by ordinary hard-working Prison Officers. It is our constitutional responsibility to do so. I would vehemently oppose any move by the Prison Service to in anyway to undermine canteen and other facilities available to hard working prison officers.”
The Deputy continued, “They are entitled to appropriate working conditions and given the circumstances and stressful nature of their work there may well be an argument for such services to be provided by the state. That is a matter for others.”
Addressing Mr Keaveny’s remarks in relation to possible threats to the canteen services for prison guards, MacSharry said if there were any attempts to undermine or dilute services to prison officers, the Union could be certain that the politician would be in solidarity with them in opposing such a ‘retrograde step’..
“Perhaps everything is in order, and all necessary oversight, auditing and accountability are in place. If not, the situation must be addressed. It is as simple as that. I respect the Prison Officers Association Trade Union and expect they are as anxious to have these questions answered as I and the other members of the PAC are.”
He concluded,,“In this matter I am on the side of the ordinary hard working prison officers and the taxpayer as I am sure Mr Keaveny and the Prison Officers Association are.”
In response to Deputy Mac Sharry’s comments, Mr Keaveny questioned ‘ the manner’ in which Mac Sharry brought up his questions.
“Our staff work 12 hours a day and that’s a normal shift. The conditions are atrocious to say the least. He’s on about the price of bread, butter and jam that we consume. If the canteen facilities close because of this it would be a huge retrograde step for our members,” explained Mr Keaveny.
He also outlined that the canteen services provides work placement opportunities for prisoners who wish to engage in rehabilitation and that this would be impacted if the facilities were closed.
Mr Keaveny believes that the deputy could have raised questions regarding more serious issues on behalf of prison workers, including the lack of protectice clothing and equipment and maintaining numbers in prison in order for them to be viable.
“We don’t carry batons, we don’t carry pepper spray, we don’t have body armour, only in extreme situations. There’s a whole array of issues that he could have raised, genuine issues for officers and I don’t think bread, butter and jam were apart of that,” said Mr Keaveney.
Asked if he believed Mr Mac Sharry was genuine in his comments about standing with prison officers in order to protect meal facilities, Mr Keaveney drew on previous examples to outline is position.
“The last time we were at the Workplace Relations Commission it was the Prison Officers Association delivered for its members. No Dáil deputy approached us offerring assistance. We had to fight for it.” said the Union spokesperson.