Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

When I made my initial contribution, I was unaware that my other amendments were being grouped with the amendment. The amendments were simple, given my acceptance of the reality that the Minister would secure the passage of the prisoner escort service. Amendment No. 4 attempts to ensure prisoner custody officers would have a duty to ensure the health and safety of prisoners to avoid the circumstances that arose in the case of Mr. Gary Douch, whose health and safety were not taken into account fully. Such events should not occur during the transfer of prisoners. I refer to the scenario in which one prisoner might attack another.

Amendment No. 5 is intended to ensure prisoner custody officers would not be hindered in forwarding information they might come across that would prevent the commission of a crime, in that they would not feel obliged to go to the Minister, with the attendant delays, to ensure such information was forwarded.

As for my main amendment, to delete Part 2 completely, the Minister of State has just stated the current arrangements will continue. If that is the case, there is no need for the provision and it should have been withdrawn. Thereafter, if such an eventuality was to arise, it could be reinstated in full. The work on it has been done and it could be constituted as a Bill in itself consisting of four or five pages. The Minister of State repeated the comments made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on Committee Stage as to whether the current arrangements will continue to be cost effective and the service run in an efficient manner. How does one define cost effective? I still believe this provision should not form part of the Bill.

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