Fine Gael has criticised Minister for Justice Michael McDowell for his "lack of concern" over figures which reveal that 325 prisoners are unlawfully at large, writes Conor Lally
The party's justice spokesman, Jim O'Keeffe TD, said Mr McDowell had taken two months to supply the figures to him after a parliamentary question was tabled in April.
"His attitude shows a significant lack of concern. Citizens are entitled to believe that anyone who is sent to prison will stay in prison until their official release date. It is shocking to think that so many prisoners are now walking the streets."
While he had requested the figures on April 25th in a Dáil question, he did not receive a reply until June 28th. It was "disturbing" that the Minister did not know how many prisoners were at large at any one time.
"Furthermore, the Minister plays down the seriousness of the convictions, but forgets to mention that at least one of these prisoners was convicted for assault and criminal damage and is mocking all efforts to return him to prison.
"Meanwhile the number of prisoners absconding from Shelton Abbey open prison in Co Wicklow is startling, with 40 prisoners escaping in the year to October 2005."
The Department of Justice said the matter was one for the Irish Prison Service.
A spokeswoman for the service said 217 of the 325 prisoners were classified as unlawfully at large on a technicality. Many of them had failed to comply with minor conditions of their release, such as signing on daily at Garda stations or residing at an agreed location.
They had not escaped from custody and had not come to the attention of the authorities in respect of any further offences.
Others unlawfully at large had absconded from an open prison, the spokeswoman said. Most of the prisoners had been serving sentences of less than 12 months.
The prison service also pointed out that the numbers of inmates unlawfully at large had significantly decreased in recent years. Ten years ago, on July 23rd, 1996, there were 1,316 inmates unlawfully at large.
Of those currently unlawfully at large, 125 were convicted of burglary, theft, larceny, robbery, handling stolen property, aggravated burglary or trespass. Sixty-five were convicted for road traffic offences and 37 for assault.