Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 November 2008
369 Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the membership of the various prison visiting committees here including the date of the appointment of each member and the amount paid to each member by way of travel and subsistence each year for the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39722/08]
View answerA Visiting Committee is appointed to each prison under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925 and Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order, 1925. The function of Visiting Committees is to visit at frequent intervals the prison to which they are appointed and hear any complaints which may be made to them by any prisoner. They report to me any abuses observed or found by them in the prison and any repairs which they think may be urgently needed. The Visiting Committee has free access either collectively or individually to every part of their prison. Members of Committees are appointed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for a term not exceeding three years.
The following table sets out details of the individuals who are currently serving on the various Prison Visiting Committees, and the date of appointment of each member:
|
Committee |
Appointment Date |
Member |
|
Arbour Hill |
17.02.2006 |
Jim O’Hanrahan |
|
17.02.2006 |
Ita Greene |
|
|
14.04.2008 |
Cathal Finnucane |
|
|
29.04.2008 |
Martina Coombes |
|
|
29.04.2008 |
Charlie O’Connor |
|
|
Castlerea |
31.01.2006 |
Evelyn Varley |
|
17.02.2006 |
Nuala Carroll |
|
|
17.02.2006 |
Michael Nevin |
|
|
26.03.2006 |
Eddie Brady |
|
|
07.04.2006 |
Martin Daly |
|
|
08.02.2007 |
Cllr. Seamus Kilgallon |
|
|
14.04.2008 |
Mary Darcy |
|
|
28.04.2008 |
Seamus Kelly |
|
|
04.05.2008 |
Luie McEntire |
|
|
28.05.2008 |
Martin Leonard |
|
|
04.06.2008 |
Paddy Greaney |
|
|
Cloverhill |
07.12.2006 |
Mary O’Neill |
|
07.12.2006 |
John O’Mahony |
|
|
18.01.2007 |
Eddie Martin |
|
|
18.01.2007 |
Michael Coyle |
|
|
08.02.2007 |
Peggy Downey |
|
|
08.02.2007 |
Fintan Hudson |
|
|
08.02.2007 |
Christine Ryan |
|
|
08.02.2007 |
Colin Campbell |
|
|
Cork |
17.02.2006 |
Terry Kelly |
|
08.02.2007 |
Nicholas Browne |
|
|
08.02.2007 |
Bart Twomey, |
|
|
02.04.2008 |
James Lynch |
|
|
14.04.2008 |
Con McCarthy |
|
|
13.10.2008 |
Jimmy Breen |
|
|
13.10.2008 |
Timmy O’Sullivan |
|
|
Dóchas Centre |
29.04.2008 |
Eibhlin Byrne |
|
29.04.2008 |
Bosco O’Farrell |
|
|
29.04.2008 |
Marian Quinlan |
|
|
29.04.2008 |
Margaret Richardson |
|
|
29.04.2008 |
Rita Frawley |
|
|
29.04.2008 |
Paul Connell |
|
|
07.05.2008 |
Michael Landy |
|
|
Limerick |
11.03.2008 |
Tony Leane |
|
07.04.2008 |
Tom Harrington |
|
|
28.04.2008 |
Donal Guiney |
|
|
30.04.2008 |
Mavourneen Smyth |
|
|
Loughan House |
15.02.2006 |
Turlough Smith |
|
29.03.2007 |
Pádhraic Ó Biadha |
|
|
01.05.2007 |
Charles Fleming |
|
|
04.06.2008 |
Eamonn Kinch |
|
|
24.06.2008 |
Tommy Reilly |
|
|
Midlands |
01.05.2007 |
John Cronin |
|
01.05.2007 |
Brigid Teefy |
|
|
01.05.2007 |
Colm Wiley |
|
|
02.05.2007 |
Mary King |
|
|
15.05.2007 |
Paddy Boland |
|
|
08.11.2007 |
Nuala Halpin |
|
|
11.03.2008 |
Jody Gunning |
|
|
14.04.2008 |
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor |
|
|
14.04.2008 |
Dr. Abdul Bulbulia |
|
|
28.04.2008 |
Mel Kelleher |
|
|
24.06.2008 |
Jack Bourke |
|
|
Mountjoy |
08.02.2007 |
Thomas Kennedy |
|
01.05.2007 |
Michael Good |
|
|
01.05.2007 |
Paul MacKay |
|
|
09.01.2008 |
Liam Hogan |
|
|
10.01.2008 |
Stephen Langton |
|
|
07.05.2008 |
Mr. J. J. Murphy |
|
|
Portlaoise |
31.01.2006 |
Ms Susan Meagher |
|
31.01.2006 |
Cllr Richie Molloy |
|
|
31.01.2006 |
PJ Long |
|
|
31.01.2006 |
Liam McCabe |
|
|
20.03.2006 |
Willie Foley |
|
|
08.05.2006 |
Claire O’Mahony |
|
|
18.01.2007 |
Tom Colgan |
|
|
18.01.2007 |
Michael Hough |
|
|
08.02.2007 |
Cllr Mattie Ryan |
|
|
11.04.2007 |
Eilis Croke |
|
|
11.04.2007 |
Anne Turley |
|
|
12.06.2008 |
Tim Long |
|
|
Shelton Abbey |
20.12.2005 |
Ms. Oonagh Doyle |
|
02.03.2006 |
John Murphy |
|
|
18.01.2007 |
Cllr Fergus McDonnell |
|
|
07.05.2008 |
Fergus Nestor |
|
|
24.06.2008 |
John Kierans |
|
|
St. Patrick’s Institution |
01.05.2007 |
Mr Francis O’Brien |
|
01.05.2007 |
Mary Reid |
|
|
02.05.2007 |
Yvonne Ní Mhurchú |
|
|
03.05.2007 |
Gerard Walsh |
|
|
14.04.2008 |
John Grant |
|
|
Training Unit |
29.11.2005 |
Christopher Faulkner |
|
08.02.2007 |
Tom Twomey |
|
|
01.05.2007 |
Richard Brennan |
|
|
01.05.2007 |
Charles O’Malley |
|
|
Wheatfield Visiting |
10.01.2006 |
Una Ryan |
|
08.02.2007 |
John Keogh |
|
|
14.01.2008 |
John O’Neill |
|
|
28.04.2008 |
Eddie Kirwan |
|
|
28.04.2008 |
Marty Rohan |
|
|
28.04.2008 |
William Loughnane |
|
|
29.04.2008 |
Pat Rohan |
|
|
07.05.2008 |
Hugh McGrath |
A number of memberships have recently expired, and new appointments are under consideration and expected shortly.
A new expenses regime was brought into effect on 1 January 2006. This new system replaced the then existing travel and subsistence expense system with the following: (i) A per diem payment of €150 per visit / meeting which will be fully subject to tax; and (ii) Vouched travel expenses of up to €40 per visit / meeting.
The compilation of statistics relating to amounts paid to individual visiting committee members by way of travel and subsistence for each of the past four years would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort to prepare and could not be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources.
However, the following table sets out the total expenditure paid out to the Visiting Committees over each of the past four years.
|
Year |
Total |
|
€ |
|
|
2004 |
338,540.58 |
|
2005 |
278,646.86 |
|
2006 |
234,359.00 |
|
2007 |
254,400.00 |
