Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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537. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the penal policy review from 2022; the status of the action plan; the achievements in relation to same to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26136/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As background for the Deputy, the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 was published in August 2022.

Core to the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 is the principle that while punishment for those who commit crime is a central element of our justice system, the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders is at the core of our penal system. The guiding principle is that a trial judge should first consider community and non-custodial sentences before considering a custodial sentence.

The review recognises that non-custodial penalties, particularly supervised community sanctions, play a significant and important role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing a degree of protection to the public while holding the individual accountable. This is supported by Central Statistics Office figures on recidivism.

Central to the overall approach is the establishment of appropriate mechanisms for raising awareness and understanding of the complex, social context of offending behavior and that this work is more than a question of resource allocation.

The review provides a policy framework to co-design and implement effective, evidence based responses. The action plan includes timeframes and identifies responsibility for delivery as appropriate, which will be incorporated into the relevant Justice Action Plans during the period.

Let me assure the Deputy thatprogress on implementation of the action plan has been ongoing, with a number of actions and sub actions achieved or nearing completion and in some instances these actions form part of distinct, focused criminal justice strategies.

In relation to key actions, the responsibility for which were shared across my Department, the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service, a bilateral meeting was held between the Irish Prison Service and Probation Service in April 2023.

Following this, a meeting with my Department, the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service took place in May 2023, where it was agreed to establish an Implementation Oversight Group (IOG) to ensure key actions, requiring multi-agency coordination, are progressed in the coming years.

While it will be the responsibility of the relevant parties to ensure the actions are pursued in line with the agreed timeline, there are also mechanisms and structures in place in my Department to ensure that all related actions across the various strategies are being viewed holistically and that there is no duplication of oversight.