Report delays a challenge for Parole Board
The chief executive of the Parole Board has said that delays in receiving reports from other agencies have become “an increasing challenge” for the body.
The board, established under the in 2021, is an independent statutory body responsible for considering the eligibility for parole of people serving life sentences, once they have served at least 12 years of their sentence.
Ciairín de Buis said that reports from the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service, An Garda Síochána, and the Courts Service were “critical” to the board’s ability to fulfil its mandate.
‘Lack of resources’
Writing in the board’s , de Buis said that 52 applicants for parole did not have their applications considered “in a timely fashion” due to delays in receiving such reports, citing a lack of resources across the services.
“This is something the Parole Board takes very seriously, and we are working with those services to ensure these delays are minimised,” she stated.
The chief executive noted “some improvements” in the body’s staffing levels in 2024 but described these as “very limited”.
“We continue to work with the Department of Justice towards the implementation of our external, independent review of our staffing structures,” she added.
‘Lengthy process’
The report shows that the board issued 76 parole decisions last year, with six of these linked to cases considered in 2023. The board refused parole in 62 cases and revoked one parole order.
It received 108 applications for parole last year and engaged with crime victims in 83 of those cases. 70 victims made submissions to the board.
Chair of the board Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan described applying for parole as “a lengthy process”, adding that it takes at least 18 months for most initial applications.
'Under-resourcing'
Responding to the report, the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) said that it noted “with concern” the delays in decision-making due to delays in receiving reports, particularly from the Irish Prison Service (IPS) and the Probation Service.
“While this is not surprising given the resource constraints experienced by both, this has significant implications for people who apply for parole,” said executive director Saoirse Brady.
“While IPRT welcomes that additional staff were sanctioned in 2024, we also note the role that ongoing under-resourcing and understaffing of the board – as highlighted by an external independent review – plays in terms of processing applications and reaching decisions in a fair and timely manner,” Brady added.
“The lack of adequate staffing and resourcing also means that it is unlikely that long-overdue regulations will be enacted to process parole applications for people serving long sentences other than life sentences,” she stated.