Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of life sentence prisoners released from prison in 2013; the average length of time served by these life sentence prisoners prior to release in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48505/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that a total of four life sentenced prisoners were released into the community in 2013. The average length of sentence served by these four prisoners prior to release was seventeen and a half years.

Life sentenced prisoners who are released into the community continue to serve their sentences, subject to a subject to a number of stringent conditions. While in the community, a life sentenced prisoner will be on reviewable temporary release under the supervision of the Probation Service. Reviewable temporary release is where a prisoner is granted a specific period of temporary release from prison. This can be at varying intervals, for example, weekly, monthly or annually. The period of release is reviewed when the prisoner returns to prison and a decision is made whether to refuse or grant a further period of reviewable temporary release.

The Probation Service provide progress reports to the Irish Prison Service outlining resettlement and reintegration progress and will report on any risk management concerns a Life Sentenced prisoner may present. Where it is reported to the Irish Prison Service that the prisoner in the community is failing to abide by the conditions of their release, that person may be refused a further period of temporary release and be taken back into custody.

An Garda Síochána may return a prisoner to prison where they are of the view that the prisoner is in breach of their temporary release conditions. When this happens, the Governor will conduct an oral hearing. If the Governor is satisfied, taking into account evidence presented and comments made, that a breach of temporary release conditions has occurred the prisoner should be notified accordingly. The reviewable temporary release is then revoked and the prisoner is taken back into custody.