Ms Ciara Kirrane:

In response to Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, the main barrier to people who wish to serve the rest of their prison sentence here returning home is the fact that we do not have appropriate legislation. The Supreme Court has found the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act to be problematic. A change to that Act is needed. We understand that draft heads of Bill have been finalised so it is really about getting that legislation through the Oireachtas as soon as possible. Nobody has been transferred to this State since 2016 but even leading up to that, something like 13 people in very small numbers - possibly one or two people in most years - were transferred five years prior to an official hold being put on applications. That is a real problem. If the legislation is introduced, we want to see an improvement and an increase in the numbers being processed and accepted back to Ireland.