Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 159: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average sentence served for female offenders convicted of murder or manslaughter. [31792/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am informed by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that all sentence related data in the Irish Prison Service has been computerised since 2001. An interrogation of this system has revealed that female life sentence prisoners released during this period served an average of 11 years in custody. This has to be treated with caution and cannot be regarded as indicative of the likely time any particular female prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment will serve. There are currently five females in prison arising from murder convictions.

No similar data is available on females convicted of manslaughter, as since 2001 there have been no releases made under this category. Consequently it is not possible to calculate an average. Furthermore there is no mandatory life sentence for the crime of manslaughter and the sentences imposed by the courts may vary. However, the Deputy may wish to note that there are currently four females in prison arising from manslaughter convictions. Records indicate that they were committed to prison in the years 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.