Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 January 2017
57. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the circumstances surrounding the revocation of a licence (details supplied) due to allegations that have not been substantiated by any witnesses or other corroborative evidence. [3034/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the particular case to which the Deputy refers. My officials in the Belfast Secretariat monitor this and other cases as part of their ongoing work around prison issues generally in Northern Ireland. The circumstances of the individual in question, have been raised with the Northern Ireland Office. The Deputy will be aware that the person concerned was detained in March 2016 when the release licence granted to him under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement was revoked by the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers.
I am informed that as part of the revocation process, the independent Northern Ireland Parole Commissioners carry out a full review of the case. The Parole Commissioners are charged with taking into account the obligations on the State of the European Convention on Human Rights in making their recommendation. This includes assessing the risk to the public should the person remain at liberty.
Those whose licence is revoked under this process are provided with a copy of the independent Parole Commissioners recommendation, which sets out the reasons the licence was revoked.
Deputies will be aware of my concern about prison conditions generally in Northern Ireland. I had a useful discussion on this wider issue with Claire Sugden MLA, the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice when she visited Dublin recently. Minister Sugden does not have any role in the revocation of licences issued under the Good Friday Agreement which remain a matter for the Secretary of State.
