asked the Minister for Justice in how many prison sentences he has remitted in whole or in part the term of confinement since the Government took office, and the considerations that motivated him in such cases.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Remission of Prison Sentences.
9.
Of 1,079 persons sentenced to terms of imprisonment, in respect of whom petitions for clemency were received in the period in question, I remitted the sentences in full in 31 cases and in part in 145 cases.
About one fourth of the remissions were granted at Christmas time to prisoners who had only short portions of their sentences to serve, and in the majority of the other cases fines were substituted for the prison sentences.
It is not the practice to disclose the grounds on which the Minister has acted in the exercise of his statutory powers and it would not be in the public interest to do so.
I take it that the Minister has sole discretion in the remission of a prison sentence?
Yes.