Criminals gifted €750k ‘bus money’

Convicted criminals have been gifted more than €750,000 in ‘bus money’ on release from jail over the past five years.

The discretionary payments are sanctioned by prison governors and provided to convicts to cover the cost of transport when they are released from prison.

A total of €768,174 was spent by the Irish Prison Service on transport-related costs for released prisoners between 2009 and 2013, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.