John Ellis
Question:28 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Justice the reason her Department precluded the governor of Loughan House from giving interviews to RTE on 10 January 1996; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1127/96]
Written Answers. - Interview with Governor of Loughan House.
As Minister for Justice I am the political head of the prison service. I am sure the Deputy will accept that on such a sensitive matter as prison issues I am entitled, indeed obliged, to decide when interviews might be granted on my behalf to the media and which of my Department's staff might appropriately give the interview. As a matter of policy I seek to facilitate the media in its interest in prison issues. However, the primary responsibility of prison staff is to run the prisons — a very onerous responsibility at the best of times.
In the instance in question it was decided that the governor of Loughan House, which is in County Cavan, should give a requested interview to local radio about factual aspects of the operation of Loughan House and to clarify inaccurate statements about Loughan House which appeared in the press and which were attributed to him. A request for an interview on a national radio show —"the Gay Byrne Show"— for the same governor was turned down on the basis that the latter interview could be expected to focus on wider national penal policy issues which do not fall into his remit, and not just on specific questions relating to Loughan House.
It should be noted that some time later when RTE visited Loughan House and requested an interview with the governor about the operation of the institution this interview was granted.