Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for this question. I am aware of his interest in the matter because I attended the committee meeting held last week at which he raised it with the Lithuanian ambassador. I have requested an update on the issue. In my work as a constituency representative I have visited a prison because I entirely agree with the point made by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan that regardless of the crime committed, everybody is entitled to the right kind of facilities in detention while serving a sentence.

I will give the Deputy an update on the work which has taken place on this matter. Our embassy has informed us that it has been in regular contact with the appropriate Lithuanian authorities. The Irish citizen to whom the Deputy referred has received more than 20 prison visits since his initial detention in 2008. Most recently he was visited on 3 June. I will give some information, but I will be happy to give the Deputy more information later if it is of interest to him. In 2008 the Irish citizen in question was visited in January, February, March, April, May, October and December. In 2009 he was also visited frequently and in 2010 received four visits. In 2011 he was visited twice and was also visited twice in 2012. As I have mentioned, he was also visited a number of weeks ago.

I have been informed that the transfer of prisoners between Lithuania and Ireland takes place under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons which lays out the conditions and processes by which a request from a prisoner in one jurisdiction for a transfer is evaluated and judged by the jurisdiction in which the prisoner is based and how the transfer happens. As the Deputy will no doubt realise and accept, we must all recognise the ability of jurisdictions to make a decision on these matters on their own. At times Sinn Féin has correctly and wisely pointed to the dangers of national sovereignty being encroached upon by other organisations and we must respect how the Lithuanian authorities will make their decision on this matter. Our officers in our embassy in Lithuania will offer all assistance they can to the concerned citizen.

I was not aware - I thank the Deputy for telling me - that a delegation of parliamentarians would visit, as is their right, and I hope their visit will assuage some of the concerns raised by the Deputy. I will continue to monitor and pursue the matter in any way I can. The Lithuanian ambassador offered us his assurances regarding what was happening in the prison, which we accept, but one of our citizens is serving a sentence there and I would be grateful if the Deputies informed me of the results of their visit. We will continue to monitor the position and give any help we can, while clearly recognising the rights of the Lithuanian Government and its authorities to handle the matter in line with its own laws and how it believes it should be dealt with.

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