asked the Minister for Justice if he will state in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin whether his Department have yet reconsidered the length of his prison sentence in view of the favourable recommendation made by the trial judge in that respect; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - County Dublin Person's Prison Sentence.
320.
The person concerned was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court on 27 February 1979 to five years penal servitude. The presiding judge directed that the offender be brought back before the court when 24 months of the sentence had been served at which stage the Court would consider suspending the balance of the sentence.
On 7 March 1979 the offender appeared before the Central Criminal Court on another charge. He was sentenced to a further five years sentence to run concurrently with the first. No direction was given as to a review of the sentence at a later stage.
On 27 February 1981 the offender was taken back to the Central Criminal Court as directed. The presiding judge on that occasion indicated that a review of the sentence as originally directed was outside the jurisdiction of the court and he made no order for the suspension of any part of the sentence. He asked the registrar of the court to write to me requesting that I bear in mind the original order of the court and the fact that the offender appeared to have been of good conduct since committal.
I have considered the case and I have authorised a programme, which includes regular home leave, designed to prepare the offender for return to the community earlier than the date on which he would be released if he served the sentences imposed on him and earned remission in the normal way. The details of this programme have been communicated to the offender and his solicitor.