Seanad debates

Wednesday, 23 June 2004

Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages (Resumed).

 

3:00 pm

Photo of Jim WalshJim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I cannot let that point go without commenting upon it. The Minister has emphasised that the convention itself makes provision for this specific area concerning people who have a short part of their sentences left to run. In this instance, we are obviously also talking about pursuing people who have been involved in reasonably serious crimes, so that their sentences would have been far in excess of the period left to run. Therefore, they would have served the vast majority of the sentence imposed on them for a criminal offence. Some people may consider that one, two, three or four months is a reasonable cut-off point. However, if the parties to the convention agreed that six months was a reasonable cut-off point, it seems eminently sensible for us to replicate that in our legislation. I see no reason for deviating from that course. In the normal course of events people should serve their full sentences but this is a new area whereby people can be pursued to serve their sentences within the jurisdiction for crimes committed elsewhere. The proposal is sensible and we should accept it.

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