Dáil debates

Thursday, 8 March 2007

Prisons Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage

 

11:00 am

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I move amendment No. 23:

In page 23, between lines 41 and 42, to insert the following:

"(2) Where immediately before the commencement of this section a person held office as Inspector of Prisons, he or she shall become and be the first Inspector of Prisons pursuant to this section upon such commencement.".

We had a debate on this issue and I will not rehash or re-quote some of the things I said on Committee Stage. This is a simple amendment which states: "(2) Where immediately before the commencement of this section a person held office as inspector of prisons, he or she shall become and be the first inspector of prisons pursuant to this section upon such commencement.".

I tabled this amendment to ensure there is not a lacuna in terms of the continuation of work. Presumably, the current inspector of prisons is already engaged in inspection and in the correlation of data and it would be appropriate to have a date of conclusion which would perhaps coincide with the presentation, or conclusion, of a report.

I also wish to express the gratitude of this side of the House, and I am sure of the Tánaiste's side too, for the work done by the incumbent inspector, Mr. Justice Kinlen. He has made an extremely valuable contribution to the debate on prisons, some of which was critical. It was critical of all of us, including the Department, the Irish Prison Service, the Minister on occasion and of the Oireachtas. We all share in the responsibility for the state of some of our prisons and the lack of proper scope for people to ensure they spend their time constructively in prison and that there is a real prospect of them emerging not further entrenched in criminality but on the path to a normal citizen's existence. We owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Justice Kinlen and for that reason, it would be appropriate that he continue in office for a period of time after the office he currently holds on a non-statutory basis is formally put on a statutory one.

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