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

I move amendment No. 64:

In page 17, line 32, to delete "eight" and substitute "twelve".

At present, the parole board is required to consider people who are convicted of life-sentence offences for parole after eight years. It is just not feasible because people do not get parole after eight years. Parole is not generally considered until after 12 years have passed. For that reason, I am proposing that we substitute the reference in the Bill to "eight years" with a reference to "twelve years". We are holding out false hope to prisoners who have been convicted of life-sentence offences by leading them to believe they can get parole after eight years.