Ms Joanna Joyce:

Can I just say that the legislation provides that a sentence can be adapted? As I mentioned, the Council of Europe convention provides for the conversion of a sentence. As I do not know the particular legal issue I am not sure if that is something that could be amended to specifically allow for this situation but we would hope the sentence could be adapted to a sentence for an equivalent offence under Irish law. Obviously we will have equivalent offences and, therefore, there should be some facility to adapt the sentence. Perhaps I can get back to the question on costs. Costs is an issue that needs to be taken into account. Under the transfer legislation, cost is not an issue that is mentioned and I do not think that should be a bar to people having the right to apply for repatriation. Irish citizens should be entitled to apply for transfer to an Irish prison if they meet the criteria. I would not like costs to be a bar to that.