Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the point that Deputy Wallace made about providing that the legal representative be notified, that is not necessary for a review because a review is an informal process where they just look at papers. If the review does not go well for the prisoner, he or she can request a hearing and that is where the legal representation comes in. In that context, it is beneficial to have Deputy Wallace's proposal inserted in respect of the hearings but not in respect of the reviews.

In terms of the two year versus one year provision, the parole board is going to work in a collaborative way. Amendment No 67, which proposes to amend section 21 provides that "an eligible person shall be entitled to bring a subsequent application after two years from the date of the most recent decision declining parole or within such shorter period as the Board may direct.".

If the board thinks a person is close to parole, it will bring forward the date and suggest the person can come back to it in one year. It is not too prescriptive. If it were to be every year, it would just put people through a process which might build false hope in a prisoner. Other than that, I agree with what the Tánaiste said.