asked the Minister for Justice if he will suspend the practice of sending small groups of Dublin prisoners to Cork prison in view of the series of serious attacks on them by Cork prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Transfer of Prisoners.
22.
The operational requirements of the prison system necessitate transfers of offenders between institutions and this practice will continue.
The prison authorities do everything that they reasonably can to ensure that incidents of the kind referred to by the Deputy do not take place but due to the behaviour and attitude of some prisoners incidents do invariably occur from time to time.
I am informed by the prison authorities that any incidents which occurred between some, not all, prisoners transferred to Cork prison from Dublin prisons were instigated by the Dublin group, whose objective was to disrupt the operation of Cork prison and thereby secure their return to Dublin.
I should add that, in the case of a number of offenders who were moved from Dublin prisons to Cork prison, the primary reason for the transfer was their behaviour while in Dublin prisons.