Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

139. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality for an update on the Government's response to the March 2013 report on penal reform from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. [35311/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality published in March, 2013 is an important contribution to the debate on penal reform and contains analysis and recommendations which significantly advance the debate on how best to protect society through effective offender management.

I published the Report of the Penal Policy Review Group, which took the Joint Committee's report into account, in September, 2014. I also referred the Review Group's report to the Joint Committee in November 2014 for their consideration and appreciate their feedback in this regard. While there is much in common between both reports there are some variations in approach but these can be examined as part of the ongoing process of implementation.

The Report of the Review Group contains 43 recommendations, some of which can be implemented in the short to medium term, while others will require a more long term approach. As an initial step, in November 2014 I obtained the agreement, in principle, of Government to proceed immediately with the implementation of the following key recommendations:

- bringing forward legislative proposals to establish the Parole Board on an independent statutory basis;

- preparing proposals and options for Government on reform of sentencing policy, including a review of the threshold at which presumptive minimum sentences in drugs and other offences apply;

- preparing proposals for Government on legislating for the Review's recommendation that Courts set out in writing their reasons for imposing a custodial sentence;

- preparing proposals on the potential for increased use of earned remission; and

- pursuing options for an open prison for female offenders.

Progress has already been made in terms of some of the recommendations of both groups - for example, the pursuit of alternatives to custody, interagency working between the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service and the use of structured temporary release programmes such as the Community Return Programme and the Community Support Scheme. The progress to date provides a solid platform from which to proceed with future reform.

Finally, I established an implementation group to oversee implementation of these recommendations and to report back to me on a regular basis. The group is chaired by Dr. Mary Rogan who was a member of the review group and I anticipate receiving the implementation group's first report next month.