Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I can personally assure the Deputy that we will keep the staffing position under continual review. I do not have an immediate answer as to whether the ten posts have been filled. I will be happy to communicate with the Deputy in that regard.

I thank the Deputy for his comments on the business strategy we have put in place. It will be very important as we go forward over the next three years. This particular proposal was one half of the strategy. The House has previously discussed the pilot programme that was taking place and while we will have a full report following the review, the programme has proved to be successful. We have now exceeded 85 on the programme and I am advised that more than 130 have been assessed as appropriate for it. Some have completed the programme in the intervening period, so the figure is not 130 at the one time.

The programme is continuing. As was stated when we announced it, it was anticipated that at any one time there would be no more than 150 on the programme, and in any one year there would be no more than 400. Whether there are 400 participants does not simply depend on the capacity of the probation service to supervise the numbers, which I am advised should not be a difficulty, but also on whether appropriate prisoners are available to participate in the programme.

There was a lot of hysteria attached to the announcement. It was portrayed in some tabloid papers as if we were about to release 1,200 prisoners into the community, as opposed to approximately 1,200 over a three-year period. All of them would have to have served a minimum of 50% of their sentences before qualifying to be assessed for the purpose of the programme.

I see the programme going forward and as I told Deputy Calleary last week, when the formal review of the pilot is complete I will happily share that information with the Deputies.

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