Visiting Committee members are appointed for a period of three years by the Minister for Justice and Equality under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act 1925 and Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order 1925. There are fourteen Visiting Committees in existence – one for each institution. The following table sets out the 65 appointments made to Prison Visiting Committees from 1 April 2011 to date.
-
|
Name
|
Name of Visiting Committee
|
Appointment Date
|
1
|
Rita Hayes
|
Arbour Hill
|
23.01.2012
|
2
|
Dr. Abdulla Bulbulia
|
Arbour Hill
|
23.01.2012
|
3
|
Wilhelmina Daly
|
Arbour Hill
|
23.01.2012
|
4
|
Dermot O'Donnell
|
Cork
|
23.01.2012
|
5
|
Mary Loughnane
|
Cork
|
23.01.2012
|
6
|
Dr. Margaret O'Keeffe
|
Cork
|
23.01.2012
|
7
|
Noel Cloak
|
Dóchas
|
23.01.2012
|
8
|
Bernie Donnelly
|
Dóchas
|
23.01.2012
|
9
|
Mary Elliott
|
Dóchas
|
23.01.2012
|
10
|
Val Rooney
|
Limerick
|
23.01.2012
|
11
|
Kathleen Richey
|
Loughan House
|
23.01.2012
|
12
|
Andrew Cullen
|
Loughan House
|
23.01.2012
|
13
|
Patrick Boyle
|
Loughan House
|
23.01.2012
|
14
|
Joe Aherne
|
Mountjoy
|
23.01.2012
|
15
|
Gerry Delaney
|
Shelton Abbey
|
23.01.2012
|
16
|
Denis Murphy
|
St. Patrick's Institution
|
23.01.2012
|
17
|
John (Seán) Lyons
|
St. Patrick's Institution
|
23.01.2012
|
18
|
Emma Muldowney
|
St. Patrick's Institution
|
23.01.2012
|
19
|
Sadie Jordan
|
Training Unit
|
23.01.2012
|
20
|
Fintan Kelly
|
Training Unit
|
23.01.2012
|
21
|
Deirdre Kenneally
|
Training Unit
|
23.01.2012
|
22
|
Noel Turley
|
Training Unit
|
23.01.2012
|
23
|
Stewart Stephens
|
Wheatfield
|
23.01.2012
|
24
|
Mary Prendergast
|
Limerick
|
15.02.2012
|
25
|
Thomas Gregan
|
Shelton Abbey
|
15.02.2012
|
26
|
Margaret Short
|
Shelton Abbey
|
15.02.2012
|
27
|
Niall Counihan
|
St. Patrick's Institution
|
15.02.2012
|
28
|
John Higgins
|
Limerick
|
20.02.2012
|
29
|
Richard Codd
|
Shelton Abbey
|
21.02.2012
|
30
|
Betty Gleeson
|
Wheatfield
|
22.02.2012
|
31
|
Paddy Murray
|
Arbour Hill
|
28.03.2012
|
32
|
Michael Nevin
|
Castlerea
|
28.03.2012
|
33
|
Dave Strahan
|
Cork
|
28.03.2012
|
34
|
Patricia McCarthy
|
Limerick
|
28.03.2012
|
35
|
Kathleen Gill
|
Wheatfield
|
28.03.2012
|
36
|
Colette Fennelly
|
Midlands
|
08.10.2012
|
37
|
Ruth Gallagher
|
Dóchas
|
22.10.12
|
38
|
Eddie Brady
|
Castlerea
|
22.10.12
|
39
|
Martin Daly
|
Castlerea
|
22.10.12
|
40
|
Tomas Ryan
|
Cork
|
22.1012
|
41
|
Angela O'Connor
|
Arbour Hill
|
26.10.12
|
42
|
Anne Delaney
|
Dóchas
|
26.10.12
|
43
|
James Houlihan
|
Limerick
|
26.10.12
|
44
|
Brian O'Neill
|
Portlaoise
|
26.10.12
|
45
|
Brenda Coyne
|
Wheatfield
|
26.10.12
|
46
|
Peter Cutliffe
|
Loughan House
|
03.12.12
|
47
|
Tom Crean
|
Mountjoy
|
03.12.12
|
48
|
Margaret Guijt-Lawlor
|
Portlaoise
|
03.12.12
|
49
|
Anne Carter
|
Wheatfield
|
03.12.12
|
50
|
Patrick Holton
|
Training Unit
|
14.01.2013
|
51
|
Margaret Downey
|
Cloverhill Prison
|
12.03.2013
|
52
|
Fintan Hudson
|
Cloverhill Prison
|
12.03.2013
|
53
|
David Ruddy
|
Cloverhill Prison
|
01.07.2013
|
54
|
Laura Jenkins
|
Cloverhill
|
01.07.2013
|
55
|
Tommie Healy
|
Arbour Hill
|
01.07.2013
|
56
|
John Keavney
|
Castlerea
|
01.07.2013
|
57
|
Robin Murray
|
Cork
|
01.07.2013
|
58
|
Pat Conway
|
Limerick
|
01.07.2013
|
59
|
Pat McGee
|
Mountjoy
|
01.07.2013
|
60
|
Michael Hough
|
Portlaoise
|
01.07.2013
|
61
|
Anne Confrey
|
Training Unit
|
01.07.2013
|
62
|
Ted Laffey
|
Midlands
|
10.10.2013
|
63
|
Margaret O'Dwyer
|
Midlands
|
10.10.2013
|
64
|
Anthony Donnelly
|
Cork
|
14.10.2013
|
65
|
Marie O'Rourke
|
Shelton Abbey
|
25.11.2013
|
Detailed figures for the remuneration of each committee member from 2011 to date are not readily available and would require a disproportionate amount of staff time and effort to prepare which would be difficult to justify in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources. However, I can inform the Deputy that a per diem payment at a current rate of €142.50 per visit or meeting, which is subject to tax, is paid to Visiting Committee members. Members are also entitled to claim vouched travel expenses of €30 per visit. The following table sets out the total expenditure paid to the Visiting Committees over each of the past three years.
Year
|
Total Annual Payments
|
2011
|
€214,249
|
2012
|
€143,457
|
2013
|
€170,430
|