Vol. 461 No. 7
249 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice the current policy regarding the promised early release of Republican prisoners from Portlaoise Prison, County Laois; and if he intends to include Irish Republican Socialist Party, Republican Socialist Movement prisoners in the next group of prisoners to be released. [3790/96]
The policy in relation to the release of all prisoners is to consider each case on its merits, having regard to various criteria such as the nature of the offence, the length of sentence, the period served, conduct while in custody and, most importantly, whether the release is likely to pose any threat to the community.
The decision by the leadership of the Provisional IRA to call a ceasefire in September 1994 and the continued observance of that ceasefire meant that the threat to the community likely to be posed by the release of individual offenders was reduced. The ending of the ceasefire, equally, represents a significant development in terms of making threat assessment in individual cases.
I should, of course, stress that the existence or non-existence of a ceasefire is not the only factor which would be relevant to the issue of threat assessment in individual cases.
