Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 5

Written Answers. - Prison Committals.

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue):

The person referred to was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on 25 November 1998 and was then committed to Mountjoy Prison. On 21 December 2001, this sentence was reduced by the Court of Criminal Appeal and he was released from custody.

I am informed by the Director General of the Prison Service that there are no official prison documents known as release papers. However, a certificate of imprisonment, which gives the name, address and also the date of committal and discharge of the offender is sometimes provided by the Prisons Service to ex-prisoners who wish to claim social welfare payments or for the reduction of corporation rents.

On his committal to prison, this person gave a particular address and during the course of the sentence he did not request to have this address changed on prison records. Following his release, he requested a certificate of imprisonment from Mountjoy Prison and he asked that a different address be placed on this certificate. He was then informed that the prison was only prepared to forward a certificate of imprisonment to him containing the address he had provided for prison records. He declined this offer.