Ivana Bacik (Independent)

There appears to be cross-party support for a motion calling for the release of Íngrid Betancourt. I am delighted Senator Fitzgerald and others have raised the issue again. Yesterday, I asked the Leader to invite the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the House for a debate on prison reform. A sum of €14 million has been allocated in the budget for the expansion of the prison building programme, a mere €5 million is allocated for social inclusion measures under the remit of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and there is no increase in funding for the probation service, which is already hopelessly under-funded as everybody working in the criminal courts knows. It would be useful to have a debate on the purpose served by the prison building programme and additional prison places.