A delegation from the Prison Officers Association is due to meet prison service management in Dublin today for a series of negotiations aimed at breaking the deadlock in their pay dispute.
Yesterday, the prison officers rejected a proposed deal on annualised hours by an overwhelming majority. The proposal by the Irish Prison Service was rejected by 2,914 members of the POA with only 28 voting in favour of the scheme.
The deal would see officers receiving a lump sum of just over €10,000 in return for working a maximum of 360 hours overtime per annum. The money would be paid even if the hours were not worked. The officers would also be entitled to a payment of €12,250 over three years.
The officers are seeking €10,800, in exchange for annualised hours and for a pension contribution to be paid on the majority of that sum.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, yesterday gave the union ten days to agree a new overtime pay deal with the Irish Prison Service. If agreement cannot be reached, he said he intends to implement a plan which could lead to the closure of four of the State's 16 prisons.
The Curragh Place of Detention in Kildare, Cork's Fort Mitchell prison, Loughan House in Cavan and Shelton Abbey in Wicklow are regarded as most likely to face closure.
The POA last night described the deadline was "unrealistic and unhelpful".
The Irish penal system has among the highest prison officer to inmate ratios in the world.