Charles Flanagan
Ceist:140 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice the number of prisoners serving sentences on conviction of rape to whom temporary release orders were granted within the last three years.
Written Answers. - Temporary Release for Rape Offenders.
Six such offenders were granted unaccompanied temporary release in the period referred to by the Deputy. In all of these cases the periods of release were granted within a matter of days or weeks of the final release date, with a view to facilitating the reintegration of the offenders into the community. In a number of other instances, where, for example, the serious illness or death of a close relative of an offender was involved, outings escorted by prison staff or a chaplain or member of the probation and welfare service were authorised.