Vol. 396 No. 3
75 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the current circumstances in which prisoners can expect to receive parole on compassionate grounds; if he has any plans to liberalise those circumstances in 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Each application for temporary release on compassionate grounds is considered on its individual merits. Regard is had to the circumstances giving rise to the application and factors such as the nature of the offence, length of sentence served, behaviour while in custody, the previous record of the offender, the possible risk which a release may pose and the likelihood of an offender returning to prison on the expiration of the period of release. I am satisfied that the present arrangements for dealing with applications for release on compassionate grounds strike the right balance between the need to attempt to respond in a humane way to such applications and at the same time minimise the risk to the community.
