Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

The Minister's reply is yet another letdown for the House. He claims it would involve too much effort for his officials and himself to provide the House with the important information on how many prisoners were on temporary release in April. It is also an important question when one considers the current prison crisis. That the Minister does not know or even bother to find out how many prisoners are on temporary release is a further indication of the serious crisis in the prison system.

There were just under 1,000 prisoners on temporary release in April, representing 16% of the prison population. Recently, Judge Thomas E. O'Donnell of the District Court who, after the careful consideration of a case in Limerick, handed down a person a 15 month-prison sentence in Mountjoy Prison. How does the Minister explain to the judge and the people why this prisoner was released after two days of serving his sentence?

There is a prison crisis evolving around the Minister but he is the only person in the State who does not recognise it as such. Fr. Peter McVerry, an eminent worker in the prison system, claims this is the worst crisis he has seen in more than 35 years. So too has the Minister's own appointment for inspector of prisons. What plans has the Minister to deal with a crisis which sees prison governors and former Government supporters appointed to prison committees resigning?

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