THE Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, has said she does not believe she will have to resign if any of the prisoners released and rearrested as a result of the Judge Lynch delisting are freed by the courts next week.
Eleven prisoners involved in the controversy over the composition of the Special Criminal Court have been given leave by the High Court to seek their release.
Mrs Owen told journalists in Dublin yesterday that she had given "a fair account" to the Dail and had indicated that, when the inquiry into the delisting affair was completed next week, she would report to the House "for a full, frank and open discussion". She would also answer questions on the matter.
The Minister refused to be drawn on claims by the Progressive Democrats spokeswoman on justice, Ms Liz O'Donnell, that there were "serious abuses" in work practices in Limerick and other prisons. Mrs Owen said she knew "exactly what it is about and I am dealing with the matter".
Ms O'Donnell's allegations are understood to refer to an allegation that an informal system among staff for swapping shifts at Limerick Prison was abused.
No formal investigation has taken place, however, and prison sources insisted that the allegations are still unproven.
Mrs Owen strongly denied that she was being stripped of responsibility with the removal of the administration of the courts and the prisons from the Department of Justice.
The Department that she took charge of two years ago was itself seeking change and was "backing" the idea of an independent courts and prison system. In the period from 1977 to 1994, when it was in power, Fianna Fail had the Ministry of Justice but did not implement changes.
Defending her department officials, she said: "Hands up where no mistakes have been made". She had never heard of the resignation of editors when newspapers or RTE found themselves in difficulties over what they published.
The department was charged with issues that "cut to the quick of security" and there were questions that could not be answered because the information might impinge on court cases.
However, there were areas that she and her officials wished to make "more accessible", including the prisons, and she had allowed media access.