Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Subsection (2) of section 15 reads as follows:

A decision by a panel conducting a review shall be in writing and shall include reasons and a copy shall be provided to—(a) the parole candidate to whom it relates,

(b) the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána,

(c) the Irish Prison Service, and

(d) the Minister.

Amendment No. 42 includes a provision to send a copy to the legal representative of the parole candidate, which makes sense. It is good that the Bill is making provision for the candidate's legal representative to attend the hearing and in that context, it is common sense that the legal representative would be sent a copy of the decision.

Subsection (3) currently reads, "Where a person whose parole is being considered is dissatisfied with the decision of a review, that person shall be entitled to a hearing, if requested in writing within 14 days of the communication of the decision of a review." Amendment No. 43 seeks to provide that the individual would be entitled to a hearing within 4 weeks of a request. I know that the Government is reluctant to accept specific time limits but this goes back to the issue we discussed earlier regarding what is a "reasonable" timeframe and how long is a piece of string. I understand that there is a danger that a failure on the part of the authorities to meet a timeline may give rise to a judicial review or a potential cost to the State and I can see why the Government might want to avoid it. At the same time, I think the request here is not unreasonable.