David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of today's meeting is a discussion on submissions on penal reform, including information on international best practice. I thank all of the witnesses for attending today's meeting and for the submissions which they previously supplied to the sub-committee. The sub-committee will first hear a brief opening statement from each of the witnesses, following which there will be a questions and answers session.

I welcome Mr. John Costello, chairman of the Parole Board, Dr. Kevin Warner, researcher on penal policy, Fr. Peter McVerry and Mr. Eoin Carroll, Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Dr. Ciaran McCullagh, UCC, and Professor Ian O'Donnell, UCD.

Members have received the submissions and any opening statement received has also been circulated. The running order is as I listed the delegates.

Witnesses should note that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the sub-committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or persons or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members should be aware that, under the salient rulings of the Chair, they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

We established the sub-committee on penal reform earlier in the year, have held a number of hearings and done some work. We plan to travel to Finland in the next number of weeks to see what has been done there. We are told the sector exercises best practice. We are interested in obtaining the advice of the delegates before we go. The full committee will visit Cork Prison tomorrow and we have already visited Mountjoy Prison, St. Patrick's Institution and Wheatfield Prison. We plan to visit as many prisons as we can in the near future.

We want to be challenged. I note from the submissions that the delegates are in a challenging mode. However, as we want to challenge the system rather than just ourselves, I look forward to our interaction with them.