Jack Wall
Question:341 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will investigate the repatriation of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30781/01]
Written Answers. - Prisoner Transfers.
I can confirm that officials of my Department have been in contact both with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the family of the detained person in relation to the possibility of the person concerned transferring to Ireland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
The Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons requires extensive documentation to be exchanged between both jurisdictions in order to allow an application to be fully considered. The application process can take some time due to the fact that several legal requirements need to be satisfied before a transfer can take place under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act, 1995. A three way consent is also required to enable any transfer to take place, i.e., from the authorities of both jurisdictions and from the person concerned. On receipt of those consents, assuming they will be forthcoming, an application must then be made to the High Court for a warrant authorising the transfer of the person concerned and his or her continued detention here.
These procedures are required under the Convention and the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act, 1995 and must be adhered to in processing each application. Unfortunately, it is not possible to say how long it will take for an application to be considered. However, I assure the Deputy that I am aware of the circumstances of this case and every effort will be made to complete this application as promptly as is possible.