Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I give credit to the Irish Prison Service for looking at a different model. It is anticipated that under the new model, which will come into place irrespective of the tagging issue in January 2009, there will be three different types of treatment and approximately 64 prisoners per year will be dealt with. That is a much better outturn for the significant expenditure in this area.

It behoves us all in the House to put in place the latest available treatment and monitoring. I was in Oslo recently and took time to speak to the country's justice minister about what they are doing with a similar population. They are initiating tagging of offenders, although it must be said they are not sex offenders. I am considering the issue of tagging generally and if it is feasible and there are resources, we will put out a tender in the new year.

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