Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 293: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of persons here who have been granted temporary release from prison and who cannot be accounted for as of 26 October 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41710/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The vast majority of the persons referred to are at large because of a technical breach, i.e., failing to sign on at the prison at an allotted time having been granted temporary release. I can advise the Deputy that the number of persons who have been granted temporary release from prison and were classified as unlawfully at large as of 26 October 2010 was 539. A significant number are unlawfully at large for only a short period of time; in this context, it should be noted that of the above total, 71 prisoners returned within the following seventy two hours.

The Gardaí are informed where prisoners are unlawfully at large and have the power to detain, arrest and return such persons to prison. I can also advise the Deputy that ongoing contact takes place between the Gardaí and the Prison Service in relation to persons at large.

The Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended by the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release of Prisoners) Act 2003 provides that the Minister may approve the temporary release of a sentenced prisoner. This discretionary instrument assists in gradually preparing suitable offenders for release and in administering short sentences, and is an incentive to well-behaved prisoners.

Temporary release arrangements operate similarly to a system of parole, which is a feature of prison systems worldwide. They are an important vehicle for re-integrating an offender into the community in a planned way. The generally accepted view is that the risk to the community is reduced by planned re-integration of offenders compared with their return to the community on the completion of their full sentence. Each case is examined on its own merits and the safety of the public is paramount when decisions are made. In addition, all releases are subject to conditions, which in the vast majority of cases include a requirement to report on a regular basis to the offender's Garda Station. Of course, any offender who breaches his or her conditions may be arrested and returned to prison immediately by the Gardaí.