Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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203. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons enrolled on community return schemes, by area, over the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27700/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Community Return Scheme is an incentivised early release scheme, co-managed by the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service, whereby people can be approved for reviewable temporary release coupled with a requirement to complete community service work in a supervised group setting under the supervision of the Probation Service.

Decisions regarding temporary release to take part in the Community Return Scheme are delegated to designated senior officials employed in Irish Prison Service Headquarters. In assessment of suitability, a number of factors are taken into account, including:

• the nature and gravity of the offence to which the sentence relates
• the sentence concerned and any recommendation made by the Court in relation to the sentence imposed
• the person's previous criminal record
• the potential threat to the safety and security of the public should the person be released
• the risk that the person might commit an offence during any period of temporary release
• the risk of the person failing to comply with any of the conditions of temporary release

The following information, provided in tabular form as requested, contains figures obtained from the Irish Prison Service detailing the number of persons released onto Community Return over the past five years by geographical region.