Courts / Clare / Report
Prison chiefs ordered to pay €60k and find job for prison officer injured in line of duty
Summary
The Prison Service has been ordered to pay €60,000 in compensation and find a suitable post for a prison officer, Kim Dempsey, who was left out of work with a chronic back injury following a serious assault on duty in 2017. The assault occurred at Midlands Prison in Co Laois, and Dempsey has required ongoing physiotherapy and pain management treatment. Despite re-training and promotion, managers insisted her only options were to retire or take a pay cut to become an administrative worker. Dempsey's lawyers argued that the Irish Prison Service's chief medical officer deemed her unfit for general duties but capable of an office job without a long commute. Dempsey used her leave to gain a qualification for a work training officer (WTO) post, but was not allowed to take up the Cloverhill position due to the need for regular prison office duties. The State argued that Dempsey was not medically capable of returning to any training officer or prison officer role.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Prison chiefs ordered to pay €60k and find job for prison officer injured in line of duty. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- 10 May 2017 Incident
- January 2023 Other
- February 2023 Other
- 2025-12-08 Publication
Why: The complainant then managed to secure job offers at the more senior prison officer grades, turning down one position at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin because it would involve a driving commute, but agreeing to another vacancy at Cloverhill because she could get there by train, the tribunal heard. CNI source report
Places mentioned
- The Prison
- Midlands Prison
- Irish Prison
- Mountjoy
- Mountjoy Prison
Topics
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