asked the Minister for Justice if he will arrange for the transfer of a prisoner (details supplied) in Limerick Prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in a Dublin prison having regard to the fact that it is quite impossible for his wife or children to travel to Limerick to visit him and that this constitutes an unwarranted, unintended and undue punishment in his case.

The decision to transfer a number of prisoners, including the prisoner referred to, from Portlaoise to Limerick was taken for valid reasons arising out of pressure on accommodation in Portlaoise and the antagonism between various groups of prisoners there. On the basis of the information available to me from the Garda Síochána, I could not agree to his transfer to a Dublin prison where the security arrangements are not as strict as in Limerick or Portlaoise.

Would the Minister not agree that it represents a very harsh punishment on this prisoner to be in Limerick prison, having regard to the fact that he is a young man and that it is impossible for his wife and young children to get to see him in that prison? As the prisoner will not see his wife and family for many years, would the Minister not reconsider that aspect of the matter?

I must concern myself with the security of the prison and the risks to the public.