DISCIPLINARY measures are being taken following abuse of work practices by prison officers in Limerick prison, the Dail was told by the Minister for Justice.

Mrs Owen said two to five people seemed to be involved. "They were clearly getting somebody else to do their work and running some kind of business or some other outside activities."

She said she understood that those involved were paying the officers who did their rosters. When they were told they could no longer continue the practice, at least one, if not two, went on sick leave, she said. But they had since returned.

The matter was raised at Question Time by the PD spokeswoman - on justice, Ms Liz O'Donnell, who recalled that she had written to the Minister about the abuse last September.

Mrs Owen said that she became aware of the abuse at the same time as she received the letter. But the staff in her Department knew of it since the middle of 1994.

She explained that staff in the prison service had for decades been allowed the privilege at local level of exchanging shifts with colleagues, where authorised by the governor, for reasons of domestic or personal commitments.

The only change in work practices took place in Limerick, and it was established in mid 1994 that a small number of officers was able to manipulate the system.

"While there has been no extra cost incurred by the prison service arising from such abuse, abuse of the spirit of the intended arrangement for exchanges of duty could not be tolerated."

Replying to Ms O'Donnell, she said that the Department had sent out a new circular in November, 1994, when it was trying to get the facility tightened up. The Prison Officers' Association, the prison governor and the Department were in constant contact about it.

Confirming that she had received Ms O'Donnell's letter, she said she suspected they both had the same source. When she received the letter, she had just been alerted to the matter. "I believe the officials in my Department were doing everything they could to tighten up on the implementation of this circular," she said. "It did not prove possible. When I became aware of it, I then said I want the abuse of this facility in Limerick stopped immediately.

The Minister said that she did not know if the previous minister for justice had been told about the abuse in mid 1994.