Vol. 465 No. 4
139 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice the progress, if any, made regarding the transfer of prisoners from Britain to Ireland; the concerns, if any, the British Home Office has in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9829/96]
A total of 89 Irish prisoners in British prisons have applied for or expressed an interest in transferring to Ireland under the provisions of the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act, 1995. A total of 29 of these applications have been formally transmitted by the UK authorities to date. I have been in a position to give my formal consent to five of these applications. The remaining applications are currently under examination in my Department, some in consultation with various other offices, including the Chief State Solicitor's office and the Home Office. The Deputy will be aware that one of the applicants, whose transfer I consented to, arrived back in the State yesterday. One further application is at an advanced stage of processing and I hope the applicant will be transferred back shortly.
It is unclear as to what the Deputy means by concerns that the British Home Office have in this regard. My Department and officials from the Home Office are in regular contact concerning the transfer of sentenced persons and are unaware of any particular or outstanding concerns on the British side.
