Fianna Fail request special treatment for convicted murderers

[mmrebel]

Politicians sought help for 40 prisoners.

POLITICIANS requested special treatment or information for over 40 criminals, including murderers, robbers and drug dealers over the last year.

One government minister made a representation on behalf of relatives of a convicted killer, while a former junior minister passed on a query to the Department of Justice about a man jailed for murder, an Irish Independent investigation reveals.

Our revelations have outraged victims' support groups which last night called for legislation banning the practice.

Other politicians wrote or passed on letters seeking the temporary or early release of prisoners, while a number also sought transfers to lower security prisons where inmates have less restrictive regimes.

Details of the representations were released under Freedom of Information rules.

Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Pat Carey wrote to Justice Minister Dermot Ahern last June asking how much longer a man who had served 14 years of a life sentence for murder could expect to remain in jail.

His Fianna Fail party colleague, former junior minister John McGuinness, passed on a similar query on behalf of another murderer, who had been repatriated from the UK to serve out his sentence at the Midlands Prison.

Politicians sought help for 40 prisoners - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie

[athlonedub]

Interesting choice of heading given that (according to the article) the most frequent supplicant was James Bannon FG Longford Westmeath. Would there be a very slight hint of bias in the title.......

[mmrebel]

But the explanation did little to soothe the anger of victim's group AdVIC (Advocates for Victims of Homicide Ireland).

Its joint secretary, Annie Mulvaney, whose son Brian was beaten to death in Dublin 10 years ago, said politicians did not realise how upsetting their actions were to the relatives of victims.

"We have been saying for a long time that this should not be allowed and yet it continues to happen," said Mrs Mulvaney.

"Politicians don't see how distressing it can be for the families of people whose lives have been taken when they write letters looking for information or a favour for a prisoner."

But Mr McGuinness defended the practice, saying he believed it was acceptable as long as it was not seeking to diminish the length of an inmate's sentence in any way.

"In my case, this prisoner was not asking for a reduction in sentence. He was simply asking the minister to clarify how long he would have to serve," he said.

[odie1kanobe]

Troll

[Mushroom]

I don't really have a problem with TDs forwarding relatives' requests for information re. prisoners to the Minister for Justice - it's often very difficult to extract information from the Dept. of Justice/Prison Service. As the article states

"the Department of Justice said that the representations made by politicians were among thousands it received last year. Other letters were written by employers, clergy, non-governmental organisations and relatives. Such representations provide a further avenue for the families concerned to obtain information and communicate requests".

However, I would have a huge problem with TDs making reps to the Minister to mitigate sentences or reduce fines - that simply shouldn't be allowed,

That said, from other newspaper reports I've read over the weekend, it appears that the Prison Service is regularly taking unilateral decisions to reduce or cancel sentences due to overcrowding in prisons - and that's a far more serious issue.

[FrankSpeaks]

I don't really have a problem with TDs forwarding relatives' requests for information re. prisoners to the Minister for Justice - it's often very difficult to extract information from the Dept. of Justice/Prison Service. As the article states

"the Department of Justice said that the representations made by politicians were among thousands it received last year. Other letters were written by employers, clergy, non-governmental organisations and relatives. Such representations provide a further avenue for the families concerned to obtain information and communicate requests".

However, I would have a huge problem with TDs making reps to the Minister to mitigate sentences or reduce fines - that simply shouldn't be allowed,

That said, from other newspaper reports I've read over the weekend, it appears that the Prison Service is regularly taking unilateral decisions to reduce or cancel sentences due to overcrowding in prisons - and that's a far more serious issue.

+1, BTW who is Tevor the two faced.........?

[bboruimhe]

Politicians sought help for 40 prisoners.

POLITICIANS requested special treatment or information for over 40 criminals, including murderers, robbers and drug dealers over the last year.

One government minister made a representation on behalf of relatives of a convicted killer, while a former junior minister passed on a query to the Department of Justice about a man jailed for murder, an Irish Independent investigation reveals.

Our revelations have outraged victims' support groups which last night called for legislation banning the practice.

Other politicians wrote or passed on letters seeking the temporary or early release of prisoners, while a number also sought transfers to lower security prisons where inmates have less restrictive regimes.

Details of the representations were released under Freedom of Information rules.

Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Pat Carey wrote to Justice Minister Dermot Ahern last June asking how much longer a man who had served 14 years of a life sentence for murder could expect to remain in jail.

His Fianna Fail party colleague, former junior minister John McGuinness, passed on a similar query on behalf of another murderer, who had been repatriated from the UK to serve out his sentence at the Midlands Prison.

Politicians sought help for 40 prisoners - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie

For my part, I first realised Bertie Ahern was not fit to be Taoiseach of this country when the Sheedy scandal broke. Sheedy was guilty of drunk driving which caused the death of a young mother. Sheedy got a prison sentence, he had worked for Ahern's sidekick Joe Burke, he was visited by Burke in prison and was shortly afterwards sprung.

It has to be a sackable and possibly even criminal offence for any politician to interfere in the justice system.

[Mushroom]

It has to be a sackable and possibly even criminal offence for any politician to interfere in the justice system.

You mean like Trevor the two-faced did recently? I agree.

And although many people praised him for his 'integrity' in resigning I believe that he should really have backdated his resignation to the date on which he made his initial approach to the Gardaí - rather than simply the date on which he was outed.