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The Journal
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Court escorts for prisoners at risk due to overcrowding, Irish prisons boss warns
THERE IS A real risk that the Irish Prison Service will not be able to transport all prisoners for court hearings, as overcrowding is putting pressure on staff to meet their escort abilities. Director General of the Irish Prison Service Caron McCaffrey warned the Department of Justice in a letter last year that the system is at 'tipping point' in respect of its ability to carry out escorts to court and maintain safe staffing standards inside its facilities. Her letter told the Department: 'Current levels of overcrowding are exacerbated by resource constraints due to ever-increasing demands for escorts.' The Journal has previously reported that record-high levels of overcrowding inside Ireland's prisons are increasing the risk of violence , seeing incarcerated people sleeping on the floor and creating a difficult working environment for staff . Speaking to journalists last month, McCaffrey said she hopes that new ankle monitoring technology will assist the service in reducing the number of people in prison who are on remand, awaiting trial, which amounts to roughly 20% of the population. The short-term remedy is also being met with additional funding to increase the number of beds that can be made available in the existing system , the department of justice has previously said. In her letter, the head of the prison system said she had 'grave concerns' around the safety of staff and prisoners, because of dire overcrowding in jails. Concerns around the length of time court escorts take, and frequency of them, were highlighted by staff at a recent Prison Officer Association conference in Galway last month. Recruitment for the Prison Service Escort Corp, which transports officers and prisoners to court and other prisons, has been a particular issue in recent years as resources become stretched. Advertisement There were 4,960 prisoners in custody at the time of McCaffery's letter, in May 2024, in which she said the Irish prison system was 'not in a position to absorb the inevitable increase in committals safely'. Since then, the number of people in custody has risen to as high as 5,400. McCaffery said the appointment of additional judges has contributed to the increases in prisoner population and court escorts. 'Undoubtedly, a large element of the current overcrowding crisis is directly related to the appointment of additional judges,' the letter said. '[This led to] the scheduling of over 600 extra court sittings this year, decisions taken when our prisons were already overcapacity and not in a position to absorb the inevitable increase in committals safely.' McCaffrey's letter was addressed to one of the most senior officials in the Department of Justice, but has only now been released following an appeal to the Information Commissioner under Freedom of Information laws. Months before the letter was sent, The Journal reported how the Irish Prison Service was using temporary release measures, when people in custody are let out periodically under strict conditions, to alleviate the system from increased levels of overcrowding . The use of the temporary release scheme is approved on a case-by-case basis. It is understood that every suitable candidate for the measure in the system has already been approved. McCaffery told the department in May 2024 that she wanted an urgent decision on new rules around who could and could not be given temporary release. She wrote: 'In the absence of an urgent decision [on temporary release measures], I need to advise you that I now have grave concerns in relation to the ability of this service to ensure the safety of both those who work and live in our prisons.' She said there had been a sharp increase in temporary release to relieve pressure, but that all the main prisons were well above operational capacity. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
Foreign Office met with pro-Israel lobbyist to discuss arms sales
The meeting between British multi-millionaire Trevor Chinn and Christian Turner, the political director at the Foreign Office, took place in October last year. Chinn made his money in the motor industry and has donated to Keir Starmer and David Lammy. The purpose of the meeting, first reported by Declassified UK, was initially described by the Foreign Office as being 'to discuss geopolitics with businessman'. But disclosures to the investigative outlet under Freedom of Information laws showed that Chinn was given the chance to discuss Britain's arms trade with Israel with the Government. READ MORE: Labour MPs visit Israel on lobbying trip in middle of Gaza genocide Emails showed that the conversation focused on 'the 2 September IHL decision', referring to Labour's decision on that date to suspend some arms sales. A significant carve out was given in the form of an exemption for parts of F-35 bomber planes, which have been instrumental in Israel's devastation of Palestine. Chinn offered 'recommendations' on the issue of weapon sales, while the Foreign Office official asked whether other British diplomats might also try 'reaching out' to him and 'hearing' his views. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'It is the political director's job to engage with a range of voices across multiple issues to ensure informed policy making'. Declassified UK said that the Foreign Office refused to release any more details on the meeting, claiming it would harm 'the effective conduct of our bilateral relationship with Israel' which 'depends upon maintaining trust and confidence between governments'. The National has contacted the Foreign Office for further comment. READ MORE: Keir Starmer confronted over UK claim 'no genocide in Gaza' Chinn failed to respond to comment when approached by Declassified. He is a long-running funder of both Labour Friends of Israel and Conservative Friends of Israel and has also been involved with the Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre, a leading lobbying group. In declassified files from the early 1990s, Chinn was described by one Foreign Office official as being 'by no means a dove' in terms of his support for Israel. 'My own feeling is that he is not very subtly tuned into the Israeli political scene, although he meets a number of leaders through his fund-raising activities', the diplomat continued.
The Irish Sun
01-06-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
HSE's ‘deny everything' culture blasted over claims Grace ‘house of horrors' allegations were ‘debunked' by 8-year probe
THE HSE has a 'deny everything' culture following its handling of the Grace case, a TD has claimed. The TD hit back saying: 'It exposes the culture within the The commission of investigation was established in 2017 to look into the It said the evidence did not exist to support findings she was subjected to sexual, emotional or physical abuse. However, the commission criticised the HSE for their failings, including to oversee Grace's care properly. Read more in News An internal briefing note said the length of time and sky-high cost of the inquiry made it unlikely that the government would carry out any further investigation. But it said allegations raised in the Dail about Grace living in a 'house of horrors' were reviewed by the commission and were unsupported. The briefing said findings about her care 'flatly contradicted' statements made by Deputy McGuinness. It said: 'The allegations made by McGuinness and others should be a main topic and the rationale why such statements were made and not based on facts.' Most read in The Irish Sun Asked about the 'debunking' of claims made about the care of Grace, Mr McGuinness said he stood over the remarks he made in the Dail and elsewhere. "He said the commission of investigation was viewed as deeply unsatisfactory by families, whistleblowers, and others involved in the case. 'DENY AND DEFLECT' Mr McGuinness said: 'It is to again deny and deflect and to try and discredit somebody who was central to the questioning of their officials right from the very beginning. 'I was given that information by whistleblowers, by family members, by other staff who had concerns.' The briefing said one area the HSE may come under attack over was the handling of requests for records under Freedom of Information laws. It said this had been 'utterly inexcusable' and reflected badly on them. 1 John McGuinness has hit out at the HSE's 'deny everything' culture following its handling of the Grace case Credit: PA:Press Association
Irish Daily Mirror
01-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
HSE official claims 'Grace' allegations 'debunked' by commission
A HSE official said 'lurid allegations' about a vulnerable woman at the centre of abuse allegations had been 'debunked' by a commission of investigation into her care. An internal briefing note said the length of time and sky-high cost of the inquiry made it unlikely the government would carry out any further probe. But it said claims raised in the Dail about 'Grace' living in a 'house of horrors' were reviewed by the commission and were unsupported. The briefing said findings had 'flatly contradicted' statements made by the Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness. It added: 'The allegations made by McGuinness and others should be a main topic and the rationale why such statements were made.' The document also said the media would 'find it difficult to get an immediate steer' on the findings because of its vast scope. It added that one area the HSE was likely to come under attack over was the handling of requests for records under Freedom of Information laws. The briefing – sent to HSE chief Bernard .Gloster – said this had been 'utterly inexcusable'. It added: 'There were delays which were inexcusable and were caused by confusion rather than any effort to subvert.' Mr McGuinness said he stood over the claims he made about Grace's care. He added: '[The commission] is to deny and deflect and to try and discredit somebody who was central to the questioning of their officials right from the very beginning. 'It exposes the culture within the HSE, which is to deny everything. I wasn't just saying those things; I didn't just make that up. 'I was given that information by whistleblowers, by family members, by other staff who had concerns.' The internal HSE briefing said there was likely to be significant focus on the cost of the inquiry, bills for which are already in the order of nearly €14 million. It added that was before the HSE claimed for costs and excluded internal staff time bills. It added: 'The cost and duration of the commission should mitigate against any political decision to progress to [the] next phase.' An email from Mr Gloster marked 'strictly confidential' in advance of publication said he wanted information on the status and care arrangements of all 47 individuals referred to. Mr Gloster said he was seeking a panel of people to review the report to determine whether any current serving officials of the HSE would need to be dealt with under 'accountability procedures.'
The Courier
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Courier
EXCLUSIVE: Maximum NHS Fife payout to nurse at centre of trans tribunal revealed
The highest sum NHS Fife will have to pay the nurse at the centre of the trans row employment tribunal, if she wins her case, is £25,000. Kirkcaldy medic Sandie Peggie is suing the health board after she was suspended following a row with trans doctor Beth Upton on Christmas Eve in 2023. No settlement has been reached between the two parties. According to details obtained by The Courier under Freedom of Information laws, the five-figure sum is the absolute maximum NHS Fife would be liable for. If Ms Peggie is to be awarded more than £25,000, the rest of the money will come from a national risk scheme designed to protect NHS boards from heavy losses. The Courier reported in March that the health board was only responsible for 'part' of the legal bill for the hearing. We can also reveal NHS Fife has spent a total of £184,000 this year on six separate employment tribunals, covering legal fees and any settlements. NHS Fife refused to say how much it has spent on Ms Peggie's tribunal, meaning the overall cost remains unknown. On Wednesday, the health board was criticised by Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton for its 'poor handling' of FOI requests linked to spending. Mr Hamilton said he was 'frustrated' by NHS Fife's approach which had led to an 'unnecessary delay'. He ruled that the health board failed to do any proper checks to find the information requested. NHS Fife previously claimed it could not provide the total sum spent on the case because this would disclose personal information. Mr Hamilton disagreed. 'The commissioner cannot accept that the specific information requested can be the personal data of either of the individuals party to the tribunal,' he wrote. 'The costs are the authority's, not theirs.' A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: 'NHS Fife notes the report from the Scottish Information Commissioner and intends to comply fully with its decision notice.' In January 2024, we reported that NHS Fife's total costs on legal claims had passed £1.8 million in five years. The health board had to spend more than £180,000 on one single claim by a patient. The NHS Fife trans row employment tribunal in Dundee is set to resume on July 16.
