Talks between the Prison Service and the Prison Officers' Association over the abolition of overtime have broken down tonight.
The talks' facilitators said the current rate of progress on the €60m annual overtime bill was insufficient to bring the process to a successful conclusion.
The Director of the Prison Service, Sean Aylward, said this evening that the level of expectation from staff was unreachable and to accede to the prison officers demands would result in a more expensive prison system.
The Prison Officers Association, however, rejected this and said they were very concerned about the impact of the Prison Service's proposals on their members' safety.
Mr Aylward must now report to the Minister for Justice and the prison authority on the impasse and the options to be considered.
