Parliamentary Question: Prison Visits

10th December 2002

377. Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he will be in a position to permit visits by Amnesty International to Irish prisons for the purpose of carrying out research missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25428/02]
 
378. Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his refusal to permit Amnesty International research mission visits to Irish prisons puts Ireland in the same human rights category as Turkey, Israel and China; and his views on whether this is of assistance in enhancing Ireland's international image; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25429/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): I propose to take Questions Nos. 377 and 378 together.

I would refer the Deputy to my detailed replies in this matter to written questions numbers 424, 427, 435 and 441 of 26 November 2002, oral questions numbers 52 and 58 on 27 November 2002 and written questions numbers 222 and 223 also on 27 November 2002. The fact that Amnesty International and the Irish Penal Reform Trust were not facilitated with the proposed racism project, which was a decision taken entirely on its own merits, has no implication for either organisation in their being afforded access to prisons and I reject the suggestion that the decision in this case amounts to exclusion of Amnesty International from visits to Irish prisons or exclusion from any future research or other project involving prisoners.