Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)

It is great to see the Minister in the Seanad Chamber again. I thank Senator Ruane for bringing this Bill to the floor of the House today. The Bill seeks to address the imbalance in our parole system whereby information can be withheld from parole applicants and their legal teams under the guise of exceptional circumstances. This is a barrier in our justice system and the proposal for the appointment of special advocates in such cases is a reasonable step forward. The reality is that the parole system can only work fairly when there is transparency and accountability.

The Irish Prison Service is under immense pressure. Overcrowding, underinvestment and a lack of meaningful rehabilitation services mean that many prisons cannot properly support reintegration. The one-year reoffending rate stands at 41% and for younger adults under 21 it is 60%. In countries such as Norway only 20% reoffend within the first two years. What Norway has, and what we lack, is a properly resourced rehabilitation justice model.

As Senator Kelleher pointed out, we must centre the system around victims. The parole process is an incredibly traumatic time for survivors of sexual violence and families of homicide victims. They deserve timely information, clarity on release conditions and recognition of their rights throughout the process. If our parole system is to serve justice, it must do so to all sides.