Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 532: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there are restrictions in place on prisoners returning to the UK who have been convicted and sentenced in the UK and repatriated to Ireland to serve the remainder of their sentence and released here on completion of their sentence. [20912/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to advise the House that the mechanism for enabling the transfer of sentenced prisoners from the United Kingdom to Ireland is the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. The legislative basis for the operation of the Convention in Ireland is the Transfer of Sentence Persons Acts, 1995 and 1997.

The sentences of prisoners transferring into Ireland under the Convention are administered under the "continued enforcement" procedure in accordance with Article 10 of the Convention. In addition, Article 9.3 of the Convention provides that the enforcement of the sentence upon transfer, shall be governed by the law of the administering State (i.e. the receiving State).

There is no provision under the Convention for the placement of travel restrictions on prisoners who have completed their sentences. The question of whether such individuals are allowed to enter the United Kingdom, following completion of the sentence, is a matter for the British authorities.