Parliamentary Question: Interim Parole Board

18th June 2003

302. Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider putting the Interim Parole Board on a statutory footing. [17222/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): The Interim Parole Board, which replaced the Sentence Review Group, was established in April 2001, and had its first meeting in December of that year, following the establishment by the board of procedures for its operations and the provision of training for board members. The Interim Parole Board's principal function is to advise me on the administration of long term prison sentences.
The board may review the cases of prisoners sentenced to determinate sentences of eight years or more but less than 14 years when the prisoner has served half of the sentence, and the cases of prisoners sentenced to 14 years or more or life sentences after 7 years have been served of the sentence. Prisoners serving sentences for certain offences, such as the murder of a member of the Garda Síochána or the Prison Service in the course of their duty, are excluded from the process.

The question of the establishment of the parole board on a statutory basis will be kept under review, taking into account the experience gained over a number of years by the operation of the board on an administrative basis.