IRISH prison officers’ uniforms truly are coats of many nations.
None of the 30 items in the new uniform — including tunics, trousers, fleeces, belts, shirts and ties — is Irish-made.
The €2.14m contract, awarded to an Irish firm, includes coats and trousers made in Indonesia, men and women’s tunics made in the Czech Republic, female officers’ skirts and trousers made in India, men’s trousers and shirts also from India, while an operational fleece is made in Indonesia.
Ties for male and female prison officers are made in China, while epaulettes come from Pakistan and male and female officers’ caps are made in Sri Lanka.
Ceremonial belts and gloves and dress trouser belts are made in China, while women’s tights, medical orderlies and nurses’ tunics and overall tunics are made in Britain.
Male and female nurses’ trousers come from India, while Indonesia also makes fleeces for male and female nurses.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said the tender competition for the manufacture of the new prison officers’ uniforms was published through the etenders website and in the EU journal on July 17, 2008.
“This was a full international competition, with no restriction in place in respect of the nationality of tenderers,” he said.
“The tender was responded to by nine companies, six of which were based in this jurisdiction, two in Northern Ireland and one in the UK.”
The contract was awarded to an Irish company.
“I can confirm that no Irish -manufactured garments are included in the Irish Prison Service Uniform contact,” the Minister told Deputy Aengus O’Snodaigh in the Dail.
“In addition, no Irish-manufactured garments were offered by any of the other tenderers in this competition.”
The minister supplied a list of the uniform’s 30 garments, none of which is made in Ireland.
Source: The Herald, Dublin, Ireland, July 4, 2009
