Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator O'Donovan's amendment to the Order of Business. It is essential that the Minister come to the House. I do not think she has said anything about it - certainly, there is nothing that I can find on the record. The prisoner concerned arrived in this country in 2012 after escaping from prison across the water in England, where he was serving 22 life sentences. We have been left with him. The Government has not protected the public from him. There is a lack of resources in the Prison Service and in the Garda, and the Government has let this man free and loose on the people of Ireland. That is what has happened. The people are angry about it. On that basis, I support Senator O'Donovan's amendment.

This is a serious public order issue. It is a serious issue which affects the health, safety and welfare of the people of Ireland. This man is on the loose. The Government has put him on the loose. The Minister should tell us what she is doing to get him back into jail and back across the water where he belongs in the worse jail in England.