Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 April 2009
443 Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress on his proposal to ensure that prisoner remission will only be earned by participation in rehabilitation programmes, on the proposals that remission higher than 10% will only be available where rehabilitation programmes are successfully completed and on the proposal to place similar conditions for persons on remission as exist for those on bail. [15506/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the Prison Rules, 2007 allow for the discretionary granting of additional remission, up to one third as opposed to the standard rate of one quarter, where a prisoner has shown further good conduct through his engagement in authorised structured activity and where, as a result, the prisoner is less likely to re-offend and will be better able to reintegrate into the community. That said I wish to advise the House that this additional concession will only be awarded in exceptional cases where I am satisfied beyond any doubt that the prisoner concerned has demonstrated that she/he meets the requirements as set out in Rule 59 of the Prison Rules.
In addition, the Programme for Government sets out a range of commitments in relation to penal policy, including targets for fully resourced and staffed rehabilitation programmes to be available for the entirety of the prison population by 2012 and the linking of remission with rehabilitation. My Department continues to examine how best to implement the commitments in the Programme for Government having regard to the range of rehabilitative programmes currently available, financial and other legal considerations.
