THE HEAD of the Irish Prison Service has rejected criticisms from Kathleen McMahon, who resigned as governor of the Dóchas Centre in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison after claiming "serious undermining" of her position.
In her resignation letter to the prison service authorities, Ms McMahon, governor of Ireland's only female prison, said her role had been made "completely impossible" in recent months.
The Irish Prison Service yesterday said director general Brian Purcell was disappointed "she had not discussed the matter with him prior to notifying him of her intention" to resign.
In a statement, the service added Mr Purcell did not agree with the governor's viewpoint as reported by The Irish Timesyesterday.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Purcell said Ms McMahon had done an excellent job in the Dóchas Centre. He denied she had been undermined, particularly on a decision to put bunk beds into rooms designed for one prisoner and said there had been consultation with her on the issue.
Mr Purcell also refused to accept Ms McMahon's argument that the overcrowding at the centre would see issues such as self-mutilation, bullying, depression and lesbianism return. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr Purcell said facilities in the centre were up to best international practice standards.
"It's well capable of dealing with numbers over and above its official bed capacity . . . In my view, bunk beds are a better alternative than putting mattresses on the floor or releasing prisoners back into the community who might represent a threat to public safety."
Responding to Ms McMahon's claims that large numbers of women being jailed in the Dóchas Centre were low risk, Mr Purcell said: "I don't make the call on who is committed to custody. That's a matter for the courts."
Mr Purcell said the prison service had frequently said Mountjoy conditions were "far from ideal", adding that this was the purpose behind the new prison at Thornton Hall. Former lord mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne said the resignation was a loss for the prison. Ms Byrne, who is chairwoman of the Dóchas Visiting Committee, said Ms McMahon was an "exemplary" civil servant.
The National Women's Council of Ireland called on Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to address the "shocking issues" raised by Ms McMahon in her resignation letter.
The criticisms Ms McMahon made were profound, and the fact she felt she could no longer stand over the regime there was appalling, said Susan McKay, director of the council.
Fine Gael spokesman on justice Charlie Flanagan said it was "very significant" for a person of Ms McMahon's standing and experience within the Irish prison system to be so explicit in her criticism of conditions. "I have consistently made the point that unless radical action is taken and prison capacity is increased, fatal incidents inside our prison walls will become inevitable," he added.
Senator Ivana Bacik (Labour) said the problems highlighted by Ms McMahon raised serious questions about how Irish prisons are run.
Ms McMahon told The Irish Times the system was now characterised by a lack of consultation with key staff in the jails. Rehabilitative facilities were also being badly affected, she said.
The Department of Justice said it was unlikely to comment as the issue was a matter for the Irish Prison Service. A spokesman for the service said Mr Purcell would not be adding to his comments.