Murderer among 11.5% of all prisoners granted temporary release: FF

A convicted murderer and a number of convicted attempted murderers are among those on temporary release from our prisons.

According to figures given to Fianna Fáil, 11.5% of prisoners in the system have been let out temporarily.

The crimes for which these prisoners were convicted include a homicide, 50 people who were convicted of attempted murder, assaults, harassment and related offences, and 14 convicted of burglary.

The granting of temporary release is at the discretion of the Minister for Justice and the prison service.

Fianna Fáil Justice spokesperson Niall Collins has accused the Government of using temporary release to massage prisoner figures.

"Time after time, the Minister (for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald) and the Government point out we have spare capacity in our prisons," he said. "The truth now is we have spare capacity because (they) are granting temporary release to prisoners who should be in prison.

"I think the public will be very disturbed to find out that many dangerous prisoners are now at large in our community."