Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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248. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will extend the remit of services available for guilty prisoners on release to be made available to innocent persons on release in view of the fact that miscarriage of justice cases are not allowed access to post-prison services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51784/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am interpreting the reference to "miscarriages of justice" referred to in the Deputy's question as those persons who have received a conviction in the Courts and who, at a later time, have had that conviction quashed.  I wish to inform the Deputy that there is no statutory provision under the remit of my Department or the Irish Prison Service to provide specific services to persons who were held upon conviction of a crime within the prison system and who were later exonerated.

Because of the unpredictable nature of the time in custody it is not possible to provide pre-release programmes or reintegration programmes to persons who had their conviction quashed. This cohort of prisoners can be released by the court at any time. They can also receive bail or have the warrant holding them quashed for any number of reasons.

For these reasons it is impossible to plan when an exonerated prisoner may be released and accordingly it is not possible to provide a structured release programme to this cohort of prisoners.