I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that they have received an application from the named person in recent weeks, to transfer their sentence from the United Kingdom to Ireland.
Transfers from the United Kingdom take place under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and accordingly require the consent of both the UK and Irish authorities, and the person themselves. Before considering whether to consent to a transfer, legal advice must be sought on the enforceability of the sentence in Ireland and, in particular, on the effect of a transfer on the amount of time a person may expect to serve in custody.
Due to the complexity of the documentation and practical arrangements required to effect a transfer, the process of information exchange and verification can be time consuming. However, every effort is made to process each application as quickly as possible.
Once the application has been fully assessed, it is provided to me, as Minister for Justice, for decision on whether to consent to the transfer. Thereafter, if all parties have consented, an application is made to the High Court for the issue of a warrant to authorise the transfer of the sentenced person into this State.
My officials in the Irish Prison Service have advised they are working with the necessary stakeholders to process this application in as timely a manner as possible. They further advise that depending on the circumstances of the individual case, applications can take several months to come to completion due to the process of gathering and exchanging accurate information between all parties to ensure that the sentence is applied correctly in this country.
