Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has again stressed that he is not in a position to stop the release of convicted rapist Larry Murphy from prison.
Murphy is due to be released from Dublin’s Arbour Hill Prison after serving 10½ years of a 15-year jail term, one year of which was suspended.
The Minister has faced calls to revoke remission of his sentence.
However, speaking on RTÉ radio this morning, Mr Ahern said that as with all prisoners in Ireland, Murphy is entitled to remission equal to one quarter of his sentence.
"There is no early release of serious sex offenders," said Mr Ahern. "All of these types of offenders have served all the sentences provided for by the court subject to law.
"The courts when they are handing down sentences are aware of remission rates so any suggestion that I can as minister can change in relation to any individual's court sentence is absolutely nonsense," he added.
Currently a minister for justice can only sanction or refuse the release of a criminal serving a life sentence. Mr Ahern said that while he cannot extend sentences for sex offenders, he said there were "constant discussions" over the relase of such prisoners to ensure that they were rehabilitated in such a way that they do not pose a danger to the public.
Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan said: "There is something fundamentally wrong with a justice system that grants automatic remission to a convicted rapist".
He said Minister Ahern’s attempts to reassure the public that Murphy will not pose a threat to their safety are utterly unconvincing.
It must be borne in mind that Murphy has point blank refused to engage with the counselling and rehabilitation services provided for him while in prison, he said, adding “he has shown no remorse whatsoever for his appalling actions”.
Murphy (45), from Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, was jailed for 15 years for the repeated rape and attempted murder of a Carlow woman in the Wicklow mountains in February 2000.
The married father-of-two kidnapped his victim from a car park in Carlow town, drove her into the mountains, raped her several times and threw her in the boot of his car with a shopping bag over her head in an apparent attempt to suffocate her.
The woman in her mid-20s was saved when two hunters stumbled upon the scene late at night, causing Murphy to flee in his car.
He was arrested a short time later after one of the men who disturbed the attack recognised Murphy as a local man.
His imminent release has prompted sustained media coverage in recent months. Much of the coverage has suggested he was involved in the disappearance and presumed murders of a number of women in Leinster, including such high-profile cases as Annie McCarrick, Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob.
However, a major Garda investigation into all of those cases, Operation Trace, has failed to identify any link and no evidence has emerged to suggest Murphy was responsible.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has said the coverage of Murphy's release would add to the anxiety of all rape victims. It urged anybody who needed support to contact the centre.