	13th November 2003 PRESS RELEASE JUSTICE ESTIMATES CRITICISED BY GREENS The Green Party has criticised the draft Estimates published today for the Prison Service. Green Party Justice spokesperson, Ciarán Cuffe TD said "Clearly Minister McDowell places more emphasis on privatisation than on education. The Estimates propose more than doubling expenditure on private consultancy services rising from €731,000 in 2003 to €1,701,000 in 2004, an increase of 133%. Meanwhile spending on education in prisons is set to drop by 4% from €1,077,000 this year to €1,032,000 next year." Ends

Ciarán Cuffe is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Dáil Constituency. Ciarán can be contacted at Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 or 96 Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire Tel. 284 6060 or 618 3082, Fax 618 4341, Email Ciaran CiaranCuffe.com, or Text Ciaran on 087 265 2075.