Speaking on the publication of the Prison Service Annual Report the Tánaiste said,

“I am pleased to note the progress achieved by the Irish Prison Service in the last three years under the previous Strategic Plan. I was particularly delighted that the achievements of the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service were recognised by the Civil Service Excellence and Innovation Awards for their innovative Community Return Programme. This project led the way in enhancing ex-prisoner resettlement and re-integration after custody. The scheme provides for earned temporary release under which offenders are offered early release in return for supervised Community Service.”

“The Prisons Act 2015 finally delivers on the calls to close St Patrick’s Institution which go back over thirty years. The Act, when fully operational, will repeal statutory provisions that enable the courts to order the detention of offenders under the age of 21 in St Patrick’s Institution and will also delete references to St Patrick’s Institution from the statute book.”