Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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397. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of prisoners deemed to have absconded or left prison by whatever means without permission in the past ten years, the number recaptured, the number who remain at large; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53087/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that on 6 December 2013, the figures on a year by year basis were as follows:

I wish to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to establish the means of return without individually examining the records of each prisoner in each of the years involved as this would involve an inordinate drain on the resources of the Irish Prison Service at a particularly busy time. Prisoners usually return voluntarily, are re-arrested by An Garda Síochána or are re-committed by the Courts. The Gardaí are informed when prisoners abscond and have the power to detain, arrest, and return such persons to prison. Experience has shown that the vast majority of offenders who abscond return or are returned to custody to complete their sentences within a short time frame.

I wish finally to advise the Deputy that in October 2012, the Director General of the Irish Prison Service established a project team, chaired by himself, to examine means of tackling the issue of Unlawfully at Large prisoners. The work undertaken by the project team along with the close co-operation of the Gardaí and the Department of Social Protection has recently led to the recapture of 4 prisoners, one of whom had absconded in 2002. This project is ongoing.