A meeting between Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and the Irish Prison Officers' Association (IPOA) on the two-year old overtime pay dispute has ended without resolution.
Mr McDowell said there was no question of backing down: "There must be substantial savings in the prison services - €60 to €65 million in the overtime bill will have to end."
Speaking after the meeting requested by the IPOA, he said a contingency plan will be put in place in the event of industrial action, but he declined to offer details of the plan. "The army and gardaí have visited prisons in recent months," he said.
Asked if he thought there would be another ballot on a pay deal, Mr McDowell replied "There may or may not be. The proposal was the result of arbitration and it was a generous one in my view. They decided to reject it.
"Strike action would be unfortunate. I've put contingency plans in place if industrial action is taken. The industrial relations procedures of the entire state is at issue - they [IPOA] know I can't be beaten on this one," the Minister said.
Mr McDowell said the prison services budget had been "cannibalised" by overtime for years and that this was now over. He promised the curtailment of overtime would not affect the welfare of prisoners and added he intends to get on with implementing the cost-cutting programme.
The Curragh Place of Detention and Fort Mitchel, Spike Island, Co Cork, will close this week and officers will be transferred to other posts. Loughan House and Shelton Abbey will become post-release centres run outside the prison service from October 1st.
Tendering for the privatisation of the prison-escort service will begin in the next 10 days and the Prisons Bill 2005 will be presented to the Seanad later this week.
Speaking after the meeting, the IPOA General Secretary John Clinton said the officers wanted to work towards a solution. He said the permanent closure of some prisons and the privatisation of the escort service is a "very retrograde step".
He said the meeting was an opportunity for the IPOA to make their position clear. Asked if there will be a re-ballot or strike action, he replied: "I won't rule anything in or out.
"We'll discuss these issues at the IPOA conference next week before making any decision. The pay element is not the problem, the privatisation of the escort service is of course offensive," he said.
The ballot on a pay deal had been rejected by a two-to-one majority. The offer included a basic salary of between €48,000 and €70,000, a once-off payment of €14,000, and seven hours of overtime a week.
The Department of Justice wants to cut the annual overtime budget across the prison service by €25 million. Overtime alone cost €60 million last year.