Seanad debates

Wednesday, 5 March 2003

Prison Visiting Committees: Motion.

 

I have, on occasion, though not in every case by any manner of means, reallocated members from more distant prisons to ones closer to them. The reason I do this is that in the spirit of the Act somebody should be available, not merely for monthly meetings, but also for random visits and that it should be the right and entitlement, as it clearly is under the statute and the rules made under it, of members to present themselves when they are not expected to make sure all is in order in the prison. It seems prima facie that the closer one is to a prison the better position one is in, subject to the remarks made about not being exposed to local embarrassment in carrying out one's duties. Subject to this and living in the kind of society we do, it seems the policy I have adopted in regard to the new persons I am appointing is correct and that it is desirable that persons should, in general terms, be appointed to prisons not too distant from their own homes.

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