Owen admits early releases to continue

Prisoners would have to be released prematurely until the prison building programme was completed, the Minister for Justice, …

Prisoners would have to be released prematurely until the prison building programme was completed, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, conceded. She was winding up the debate on the Bill to increase the maximum number of High Court judges to 22.

Mr Michael Mulcahy (FF) asked if it was not a futile exercise to appoint more judges, in light of the pressure on prison places. The measure was passed.