The Irish Prison Service (IPS) has confirmed that a total of seven male prisoners who were granted temporary Christmas release over the past five years remain unlawfully at large. However, a spokesman for the Garda press office refused to comment on individual cases when asked to outline the efforts officers are making to apprehend the prisoners. John Downesreports.
According to the prison service, three of the prisoners were granted temporary release in 2004 and three were released in 2005 from the Mountjoy, Portlaoise and Midlands prisons. A further prisoner was released from Cork prison in 2003.
All seven remain "unlawfully at large", according to the IPS.
Between 2004 and last year, a total of 809 prisoners were released on temporary Christmas leave. All of the men were coming to the end of their sentences, and were judged not to have posed a danger to the public, according to a prison service spokeswoman.
"Our overriding concern when it comes to temporary release is the safety of the public," she said. "Nobody is released at Christmas who is considered dangerous."
She added that all prisoners who were on temporary release last Christmas had been returned to custody by gardaí by August. But the revelation prompted Fine Gael's spokesman on justice Charlie Flanagan to call on the Garda to redouble their efforts to locate the missing men.
"I would be very much in favour of temporary release at Christmas time and compassionate release," he said. "But that release is based on an element of trust . . . I would be concerned that if people don't come back it impacts adversely on other prisoners who may wish to make an application."
The IPS spokeswoman added that failure to return following temporary release is equivalent to an escape from custody. If rearrested, the seven men would be made to serve the remainder of their sentence, and could also be prosecuted under Section 6 (2) of the Criminal Justice Act 1960. This allows for a sentence of up to six months imprisonment.