James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am told there was one transfer very recently. However, the position remains the same in that it is very difficult because of the decisions in the courts here in Ireland to try to meet those criteria in terms of how we implement restrictions that are put on prisoners in the UK. Effectively, it is almost impossible to apply them because we do not have those same restrictions here and prisoners could be let out very early, without restrictions, if they were brought back home. That is what we are going to try to resolve. I am not sure about the situation with the one particular case that we were able to manage. I assume the restrictions on early release that were put in place were able to be implemented here in Ireland, whatever they were, and I do not have the details of the particular case to hand. Certainly, we have had a five-year period where, in effect, it was almost impossible for any prisoner transfers to happen and that is obviously having a serious impact on them and their families.