Prison Officer jobs at jails in Laois and elsewhere attract big interest

Newly published figures show that hundreds of people around Ireland want to work as prison officers at jails in Laois and elsewhere in the country.

Data from the Department of Justice shows that the most recent Recruit Prison Officer recruitment campaign launched in July 2025 attracted a total of 1,772 applications.

As of March 3, 2026, 512 names have been received from Public Jobs following three rounds of interviews.

In 2025, a total of 304 Recruit Prison Officers were recruited.

The Department also says funding provided to the Irish Prison Service (IPS) in 2026 will allow for the recruitment of up to 100 additional Prison Officers and up to 50 additional staff. It says there will also be a 19% increase in funding to allow for 210,000 additional staff hours in prisons in Portlaoise and elsewhere.

The 2026 Recruit Prison Officer recruitment campaign is provisionally scheduled to open, in conjunction with Public Jobs, in September.

The IPS says the total annual remuneration for a fully trained officer can range from roughly €32,500 to over €61,000 depending on experience, with some reporting higher earnings due to overtime. Additional earnings can be made in various ways.

As of the end of 2024, the IPS reported a total of 3,740.38 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff around Ireland.

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Prison Officer training is accredited by South East Technological University (SETU) as the Higher Certificate of Arts in Custodial Care and reflects Level 6 of the NQAI framework.

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South East Technological University (SETU) is a multi-campus university in the south east of Ireland. With a vision to transform the south east into a thriving region, SETU provides a diverse range of third-level courses to students globally, fostering skills, and knowledge for exciting careers.