Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Jim O'Callaghan for the work he has done on the Bill. The establishment of a parole board on a statutory basis has been an ongoing Government and Opposition policy objective. There is a need to provide for a more objective and streamlined parole process which, while, of course, being of benefit to the prisoner, has public safety at its core.

It is of paramount concern, and the Bill encompasses this objective. It goes a considerable way to making provision for a statutory parole board, the principle of which I fully accept. I went to the Government with this earlier this year, to proceed with the establishment of the parole board through the Bill. Since then, a departmental official has been working full-time on it and progress has been made in resolving certain policy issues. We have engaged with the Deputy O'Callaghan, and been in consultation with him in considering the need for further amendments. We have more work to do in the Department, as Deputy O'Callaghan has acknowledged. We are working through a co-operative process. As Deputy O'Callaghan said, we want to get the very best Bill we can through the process of engagement at the committee and in consultation with Deputy O'Callaghan and the officials working full-time on it.