Brian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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77. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 304 of 11 November 2014, if she will identify the four prisoners convicted of homicide offences who failed to return to prison following temporary release during the period 1 January 2009 to 7 November 2014. [46499/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that the names of the four prisoners convicted of homicide offences who failed to return to prison following temporary release during the period 1 January 2009 to 7 November 2014 were identified to An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána are informed by the Irish Prison Service when prisoners become unlawfully at large and they have the power to detain, arrest, and return such prisoners to prison.

Efforts are constantly being made to address the issue of prisoners fleeing open prisons by absconding or not returning from periods of temporary release. A project team is working closely with Gardaí and the Department of Social Protection and this has led to the re-committal of a number of prisoners who were unlawfully at large from custody. This project is ongoing.