Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 4

Written Answers. - Crime Levels.

Richard Bruton

Question:

232 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will give aggregate details of the sentences actually served by persons who were convicted of murder and who were released during the past five years; the original sentence set; and the proportion of the sentence actually served. [11920/00]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue):

There were 41 persons serving sentences for murder released in the past five years – January 1995 to March 2000.

The number of years served in prison by the prisoners released in this period ranged from seven to 30 giving a mathematical average of 14.

Of the prisoners released in this period, 37 had been serving life sentences. The other four prisoners were serving 40 years for capital murder, commuted from the death sentence by the President. These four prisoners were released as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. Of these prisoners three had served a third of their sentences and the fourth had served 44% of his sentence.

The proportion of the sentence served cannot be calculated on a life sentence. Upon release from prison, life sentence offenders are subject to various conditions including supervision for the rest of their lives by the probation and welfare service of my Department. Failure to abide by any conditions imposed may result in their return to prison by the gardaí to resume serving the life sentence.