asked the Minister for Justice the reason Deputy Gregory-Independent was refused permission to visit two prisoners in Portlaoise prison on 23 February 1985.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Prison Visit.
15.
(Limerick East): The Deputy was advised on 22 February 1985, that it was not practical to facilitate him with a visit to the two prisoners on the following day. He was also informed on the same occasion that if he made an application for a visit on another day it would be considered. I have to say, a Cheann Comhairle, that the statement attributed to the Deputy in The Irish Times of Saturday, 23 February, does not give a complete account of his dealings with my office on the previous day which were along the lines I have just indicated.
What are the normal procedures in relation to allowing a Member of the House to visit a prisoner in any of our prisons?
(Limerick East): In normal circumstances if the Deputy contacts my office he will be facilitated, but that does not mean that he can just arrive at the door of a prison on any morning or afternoon simply by informing the office. The arrangement will be made for Deputies in normal circumstances, but it depends on prison regimes and so on. People must be reasonable about it. If they insist on going on Friday morning, it might be easier for the prisoners to have them there on Saturday.
I asked the question because I did not get all of the Minister's initial reply. I have been a fairly regular visitor to Portlaoise prison particularly when former prisoner Nicky Kelly was resident there, and I always adopted the same procedures which involved, as the Minister said, ringing the Minister's office and asking permission for a visit, and I had been told that to facilitate the prison authorities it would be better if I went early on a Saturday morning before the——
A question, Deputy.
If you will bear with me, I am leading up to the question.
You have better get into it.
It arises directly from the Minister's reply. I did everything to facilitate the prison authorities. They suggested to me that arriving early on a Saturday morning would be best before relatives began to queue. On this occasion I contacted the Minister's office.
I made the usual request a couple of days in advance. I was refused and given no explanation for that refusal. Will the Minister tell me the precise reason why I was refused on this occasion? I did exactly what I had done on previous occasions when I visited Portlaoise prison. I fail to see why I was refused and I am entitled to an explanation.
(Limerick East): The Deputy said he contacted my office a number of days in advance. That is not the information available to me. As I said earlier, he was advised on 22 February that it was not practical to facilitate him with a visit to two prisoners on the following day. There were particular circumstances on that day and it was not practical for him to visit Portlaoise prison. He has always been facilitated in the past and he will be facilitated in the future.
I feel I am entitled to an explanation. I did not get an explanation by ringing and checking with the Minister's office at the time. I am now asking in the House why it was not practical on that occasion to allow me to visit the prison. It is not sufficient for the Minister to say it was not practical. Why was it not practical on that occasion?
That is a clear question.
(Limerick East): I should like to point out to the Deputy that he does not have an absolute right to visit prisons, but we will facilitate him. We have always facilitated him. On certain occasions it is not practical to have visitors in a prison. On this occasion it was not practical and the Deputy was facilitated subsequently, I understand, and we will facilitate him again.
I take it the Minister does not want to answer the question. There is nothing you can do about that, a Cheann Comhairle, and there is nothing I can do about it.
Would the Minister agree that there is a certain reluctance on the part of officials of his Department to grant permission to Members of this House to visit Portlaoise prison? Will he grant permission to me to visit Portlaoise prison which is in my capital town. In view of my present position in the party I should like to visit Portlaoise prison. I wrote to the Minister's Department asking formally for permission to visit the prison and I have not had any response from the Minister's Department.
(Limerick East): There is no problem. If the Deputy comes up to my office afterwards we will arrange an appropriate time for him to visit Portlaoise prison.