Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I did not give a positive response on Second Stage to this amendment. The amendment proposes that a notice of a direction of a temporary release should always be given to the victim or the victim's next of kin. There are already a number of options in place for those who wish to receive such information. A victim of a serious sexual or violent offence may ask the Prison Service, through the prisons' victim liaison officer, to notify the Garda prior to the release of the perpetrator from prison, either on temporary release or at the end of his or her sentence. That request can be made by a victim of a serious sexual or violent offence. In addition, a victim may also ask the Prison Service, through the prisons' victim liaison officer to be notified if an offender is to be given temporary release. It is important to remember that many victims of crime do not want to be informed of the temporary release of the offender as it may bring back memories of the hurt and pain they have experienced.