Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 422: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the numbers of prisoners on temporary release at present and a comparison figure for 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19332/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Figures from 19 May 2006 indicate that there were 3,409 persons in the prison system, of whom 155 (4.5%) were on temporary release. This compares with a figure of 2,723 persons in the prison system on 20 May, 1996 of whom 536 (almost 20%) were on temporary release. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the reason for the significant fall in the percentage of prisoners on temporary release between 1996 and 2006 is because this Government has provided some 1,200 additional prison spaces since 1997. Having said that there will always be a small percentage of prisoners on temporary release at any given time.

Temporary release is an important vehicle for re-integrating an offender into the community in a planned way. While due regard must be had to any risk which a particular release might pose, the generally accepted view is that the risk to the community would be even greater if, in certain circumstances, attempts at planned reintegration were not made, since prisoners must return to the community in any event, on the expiry of their sentence