Scientology call for prisoner literacy ‘daft’

A controversial call by the Church of Scientology that prisoners should not be released from prison until they can read and write was condemned by Fine Gael as “daft and appalling”.

The Church of Scientology, which some critics have claimed is a cult, was one of a number of organisations who addressed an Oireachtas committee yesterday on adult literacy in Ireland.

Scientologist Gerard Ryan told the Committee on Education that 92% of prisoners have left education before the age of 16.