Six prison officers who claim they are being transferred from Mountjoy Prison apparently as a disciplinary measure, arising out of an incident in the prison last year during which a prisoner sustained serious injuries, yesterday secured a High Court stay on their transfer, which was to take place today.
The stay applies pending the outcome of judicial review proceedings against the Minister for Justice and the Attorney General in which the six officers are challenging their proposed transfers to Arbour Hill, Clover Hill and Wheatfield Prisons.
The officers say they were not involved in the incident at Mountjoy on September 18th, 1999, in which a prisoner was injured but say they may be the subject of rumours and allegations that they were engaged in harassment of officers who were involved in the incident or witnessed it. They deny any such allegations.
The six officers - Mr Brendan Adamson, Mr Liam Duffy, Mr Michael Fitzgerald, Mr Patrick Glynn, Mr Michael Kennedy and Mr Christopher Smith, all with addresses care of Mountjoy Prison - claim the decision to transfer them was made on February 1st last and communicated over the following days. They appealed the decision but their appeals were dismissed in a decision on Tuesday last.