Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has consulted with the Irish Prison Service in relation to prison escapes at Loughlin House Prison, County Cavan; if all recommendations of the report commissioned by him into the escape of a prisoner (details supplied) have been implemented; his views on the further breach at the prison on 24 April 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22614/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I published the Report into the escape by the prisoner referred to on the 28th March 2012. As I stated then, the decision to send this prisoner to Loughan House was wrong. At the time, I instructed the Director General of the Irish Prison Service to take all necessary steps to ensure that a mistake of this nature does not reoccur.

I have since been assured by the Director General that measures have been taken to provide additional oversight in the decision making processes in order to ensure that such a decision cannot be made again in the future. Where consideration is being given to the transfer of a prisoner serving a sentence for a homicide related offence to an open centre, the decision must now be made by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service.

All decision making staff and prison governors have been reminded of the need to take appropriate account of all the criteria to be applied to such decision making, in a balanced and considered manner.

Regarding the incident to which the Deputy refers which occurred on 24 April 2012, 3 prisoners absconded from Loughan House and were pursued by prison staff. The 3 prisoners were subsequently apprehended by the Garda and were returned to custody within a number of hours.

The prisoners in question had been transferred to Loughan House as part of their sentence management and all of them met the criteria for transfer to an open centre. As the prisoners absconded from custody, they have now been returned to closed prisons for the duration of their sentences and will not be considered for any concessions for the remainder of their sentences including transfer to open centres or temporary release.