Top management in Irish Prison Service can earn between €71k and €163k

The head of the country's prison service can expect to earn more than €160,000 annually while Governors can earn between €71,000 and €117,000 each year.

That's according to figures provided in the Dáil recent by the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald. The Irish Prison Service runs two jails in Portlaoise on a joint campus.

In her reply to Tommy Brougan TD the Tánaiste said the Irish Prison Service operates as an executive agency within the Department of Justice and Equality.

She said it is headed by a Director General supported by five Directors (Care and Rehabilitation, Operations, Staff and Corporate Services, Estate Management, ICT and Finance) two of which are vacant.

She said the Irish Prison Service's management structure provides for four Governor grades - Campus Governor, Governor 1, Governor 2 and Governor 3. There are currently two Campus Governors, one acting Campus governor, one Governor 1, seven Governor 2s and eleven Governor 3s. There are also Deputy Governor and Assistant Governor grades.

 The top and bottom points of the current payscales (PPC rate) for top management grades are set out below:

 Director General: €163,372 (single point on scale)

 Director of Care and Rehabilitation: €135,994 (single point on scale)

 Director: €85,127 - €103,976

 Campus Governor: €112,899 - €117,811

 Governor 1: €78,912 - €98,065

 Governor 2: €71,738 - €90,141

The Tánaiste did not provide salary scales for the Governor 3s, the Deputy Governor or Assistant Governor grades. Details were not given on how many deputy or assistant Governors are in post.

Portlaoise Prison has a Governor while the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise has a Campus Governor according to the IPS website.

She added that directors, not including the Director General and the Director of Care and Rehabilitation, receive an annual Director's allowance of €12,608. Governors, except Campus Governors, receive an Operational Allowance of 8%, Rent Allowance of €4,017 per annum, Plain Clothes Allowance of €441 per annum and a Governor's Allowance of between €5,880 and €7,049.