Vol. 526 No. 1
124 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of occasions on which each person convicted of offences arising from the death of a person (details supplied) has been given temporary release; the period of release in each case; the grounds for the temporary release in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25746/00]
As the Deputy is aware, it is long-standing policy not to comment in detail on the sentence management of any individual prisoner and I do not propose to make an exception in this case except to say that, of the five prisoners referred to, three have been granted short periods of temporary release for compassionate reasons in the last couple of months.
I can inform the Deputy that each application for temporary release is carefully considered on its own individual merits and the granting of temporary release to these prisoners has no early release implications.
