Contract offered to test Laois prison officers for cocaine use

The Irish Prison Service is inviting bids from firms to win a contract for the testing of prison officers for cocaine, cannabis and other illegal drugs.

The Service gives a summary of what companies which are interested in winning the national contract will have to do at jails in Portlaoise and other parts of Ireland.

"The IPS will require the services of organisations with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide drug testing as prescribed by the Legally Defensible Workplace Drug Testing standards set by the European Workplace Drug Testing Society (EWDTS) for prison-based staff by hair or urine samples for illicit substances that are listed as illegal drugs," it says.

The IPS says about 200 pre-employment tests will be required to be carried out (off site) annually. Proactive or onsite testing will see about 200 tests completed based on testing of 5% of prison-based staff. About 100 reactive onsite test will be recorded within within 90 minutes.

A total of 3,295 staff are eligible to be tested according to the documents. A quarter, or 810, of these staff are based in Portlaoise which is the biggest jail complex in Ireland. There are 310 staff based in Portlaoise Prison while the 500 are attached to the lower security but much bigger Midlands Prison.   

The type of drugs to be tested is not outlined in the tender.

The tender says the supplier will need to provide training courses (workshop) to all prison-based management and
staff who may be subject to these tests.

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Training will also be required for HR staff who shall be responsible for this policy.

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The closing date for bids is May 9, 2022.