Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 17 November 2020

Select Committee on Justice and Equality

Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised)

Photo of Pa DalyPa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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I have one suggestion. I know that, at some stage, we will have the Director of Prisons before the committee. I had heard of late of a case within the paramilitary block where the security was a little over the top. A prisoner was away on day release over a weekend and came back on a Monday. He had a doctor's appointment across the road in Portlaoise the following day, when there was a full Army escort to get him across the road. He had been out for the whole weekend, for what was a three-day or four-day release, and came back in, so perhaps he could have been allowed to go across the road to the doctor's appointment. While I understand he is in a very high security wing, perhaps some flexibility could be arranged to allow people to go across the road in those circumstances, which would save money.