Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 May 2008
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Prisoner Releases.
230 Deputy Tony Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 523 of 8 May 2008, the date of the decision to reject the application of each of the five prisoners. [18901/08]
View answer231 Deputy Tony Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 523 of 8 May 2008, if he or officials have consulted with other parties or individuals when making his decision to refuse the applications under the Good Friday Agreement of each of the prisoners concerned. [18902/08]
View answer232 Deputy Tony Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 523 of 8 May 2008, if in view of the spirit and the letter of the Good Friday Agreement he will review the decision to refuse to send the applications of the prisoners concerned, which in this instance would be four or the five prisoners to the Independent Commission as agreed under the Good Friday Agreement to allow the Commission to make their advice known in each case as is their function. [18903/08]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 230 to 232, inclusive, together.
The decisions not to specify the prisoners as qualifying were communicated to the prisoners in question by the Prison Governor in September 2000, April 2002, December 2004 and September 2006. In the normal course my Department would seek the views of An Garda Síochána on such applications which would then be taken into account in my formal decision. As to whether the decisions not to specify these prisoners will be reviewed, I can confirm to the Deputy that the circumstances in which these decisions were taken have not changed.
