Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of times each of the four men convicted of the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe has been granted temporary release from Castlerea prison in each of the past five years; the reason for the temporary release in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9781/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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There are four persons serving sentences for the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe. Pearse McAuley has received six periods of temporary release for compassionate reasons since his conviction in February 1999. During the same period, Michael O'Neill has received seven separate periods of temporary release, Jeremiah Sheehy has received six periods of such release and Kevin Walsh has received four separate periods of release.

I am not prepared to provide the exact reasons for each release as to do so would be releasing personal medical information on non-prisoners into the public domain. However, I can confirm that each of these releases was granted for valid compassionate reasons consistent with those applied to other Provisional IRA prisoners since the Good Friday Agreement.