Vol. 509 No. 1
135 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish people in prison worldwide; the efforts, if any, made to inquire on their welfare; if any prisoners have been repatriated or released in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19843/99]
Information from our embassies and consulates indicates that there are about 770 Irish persons in prison abroad. When it comes to their attention that Irish citizens are in custody for any reason, Irish embassies and consulates ensure that they have access to a lawyer, that they can communicate with relatives or friends if they wish, that they are not discriminated against on the grounds that they are foreigners or Irish and that they can benefit from any offer of bail. Embassies and consulates, which normally offer to visit citizens in custody or in prison, inform them about the local prison regime, its welfare service, entitlements as regards medical attention, visits, telephone calls, post and money transfers and about the possibility of legal aid. They also usually have direct contact with the lawyers acting for the Irish citizens. Where necessary, embassies and consulates contact the prison authorities about the conditions in which Irish people are detained or imprisoned.
My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, has confirmed that 69 persons imprisoned abroad have been transferred to this jurisdiction in accordance with the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act, 1995, which came into operation in November 1995. Sixty-four of those prisoners were transferred from the United Kingdom, three came from the United States, one came from Canada and one came from Hong Kong. The Minister's annual reports on the operation of the Act are in the Oireachtas Library.
