Mr. Karl Dalton:

On the temporary release, this conflict affects the prison officers on a daily basis and is linked back to Senator Ruane’s point on services. There has to be a flow through the prison and the point should be made very clear as to how someone achieves temporary release. It may be opening the door for a political decision to stop temporary releases, for instance, when there is overcrowding. Who makes the decision? Will it be a Minister who says that the timing of this does not suit for people to be out on the street or will it be the opposite way where, in other times, the director general has control over that? It ties in with the whole ethos which the Prison Officers Association is involved in with regard to having a clear plan for prisoners from the day they enter prison to the day they are released. This provision may not sit perfectly with that.