Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 December 2004
198 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will accede to a request from a person (details supplied) for repatriation to a prison here in view of family circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33660/04]
View answerThe primary purpose of the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons is to facilitate the repatriation to their home country of persons, who, were it not for their imprisonment in another jurisdiction, would ordinarily be resident there. Having considered the matter carefully, I was satisfied that the person concerned would not normally be resident in this jurisdiction, were it not for his imprisonment in the United Kingdom and, as such, I was not prepared to consent to his transfer to a prison in this country at this time. The matter was recently considered again recently. However, I was not persuaded by the additional information provided to change my position on the individual's previous application.
Finally, it should be noted that the convention does not confer an automatic right on any prisoner to be transferred nor does it confer an obligation on any State to comply with a transfer request.
