More prison spaces needed ‘if people want dangerous people locked up for a long time’, says Taoiseach

Ireland will need more prison spaces “if people want dangerous people locked up for a long time”, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

His comments come in the wake of remarks by Mr Justice Tony Hunt at the sentencing of Jozef Puska for the murder of Ashling Murphy in January 2022.

Mr Justice Hunt imposed a mandatory life sentence but also lamented that he did not have the power to impose a minimum period to be served. He said that, if he had the power, a whole-life term would have to be considered in the case.

At Fine Gael’s special conference in Maynooth on Saturday, Mr Varadkar was asked about Mr Justice Hunt’s comments and what the Government position was.

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The Fine Gael leader said he had asked Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to examine the issue.

He added: “Minister McEntee has already increased the maximum sentences that can be imposed on people for serious assault, or the assault of an emergency worker during their work.”

Mr Varadkar said that what he had asked Ms McEntee to consider “wouldn’t mean a minimum sentence in all circumstances, but would give a judge the power to impose a minimal sentence if the judge felt it appropriate”.

He added: “There is a connected piece to this and I know people don’t like to talk about it.

“But we do need to have adequate prison spaces – not because I want to see a higher incarceration rate: I don’t.

“But if we’re genuinely serious about locking up very dangerous people, murderers, rapists, paedophiles, the heads of major criminal gangs for 20, 30, 40 years, and I think that’s what people want, with the rising population we’re going to need more prison spaces.”

He said Ms McEntee was working on “providing about an extra 600 prison spaces over the next couple of years”.

Mr Varadkar continued: “

I’m sure I’ll be denounced by the ‘righteous ones’ and various others for even suggesting this but if people want dangerous people locked up for a long time, we’re going to need more room in our prisons.”

Later, Ms McEntee said there are plans for 600 additional spaces across four prison estates.

She also said “a body of work has already been done” on the the possibility of bringing in minimum sentences with a proposals for judges to be able to recommend that an offender whose crime was “particularly heinous” would not come before the parole board for 20 or 30 years or “potentially longer”.

She said the length of time would be up to the judge in the case.

Ms McEntee said that at present a person must come before the parole board after 12 years and the average life sentence is about 19 years.

“But I think there’s an acknowledgment that certain crimes potentially should have a higher sentence,” Ms McEntee said.

“I do hope to bring it forward in legislation. I won’t be able to do it this year but my intention is that I bring it forward in legislation next year.”

About 700 Fine Gael members are gathered in Maynooth for the special conference which is to have “an emphasis on delivering for rural Ireland” and strengthening the party organisation.