Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I suppose one could discuss this either with this current grouping or with Deputy Connolly's amendment No. 49 because this retains the change that was made on Committee Stage regarding 12 years. I suppose it is relevant to both areas.

I gave this a fair bit of thought and I looked over the Committee Stage debates. I was not participating in the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality at that time. There is a reasonable point that can be made there but the average amount of time that those who are recommended for release had spent in prison was 18 years. People may say that is a long time and, indeed, it is. It seems potentially excessive to set the statute basis for the beginning of review of sentences at less than half of that. There is a fair point that it creates an unrealistic expectation, potentially putting prisoners up for numerous reviews before they have any hope of being successful. Realistically, that would be a rubber-stamping exercise. There is a point that it is difficult for the victims of crime to imagine, even if it is not realistic, that somebody could be released on parole seven years after a potentially heinous crime. Potentially, I would consider something more than eight years and less than 12. Eight is too little. It is far out of line with the reality of what is happening and with what is a reasonable expectation.

I note that there are concerns about whether it delays some of the processes that surround parole, such as hearings and parole reviews in terms of treatment, training, evaluation, etc. Perhaps we should consider an amendment for the Seanad to see whether there is some legislative basis for beginning some of that work - I am sure some of it is going on all the time anyway but putting some formal shape to it within the context of the parole system - in advance of that 12 years. I will consider that in advance of the Seanad.

For the moment, I will be supporting the amendments that are currently before us. I will not be supporting amendment No. 49, which we will come to at a later stage.

See this speech in context