Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and will make contact with him. The Department previously indicated that the necessary legislative changes would be considered in the context of the European Union framework decision 2008/909/JHA which governs the transfer of prisoners between EU member states. The heads of a Bill to transpose the framework decision has been approved since 2013 but has not been brought before the Dáil. Is there progress on this? We agree this is a human rights issue. The argument for encouraging the transfer of sentenced persons has a strong basis in international human rights law. One of the main reason for the transfer of prisoners is to prevent others from being punished for someone else's crime, namely the parents. As can be imagined, if a person is in jail in Australia it is incredibly harsh on the parents. They can never see their child, irrespective of what he or she has done. The person is serving time in prison for what he or she has done but the parents should not be punished as well. I am glad of the Minister's point about making contact and I look forward to doing that.

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