Writing in the foreword to the Parole Board’s annual report for 2024, chairperson Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan said a “real challenge for the Parole Board has been the delays we have incurred in receiving reports”.

“We, pursuant to our legislation, direct the provision of reports from services such as the Irish Prison Service, Probation Service and An Garda Síochána,” she said.

“Yet there are multiple occasions where these reports are not received in a timely manner due primarily, we understand, to those services finding themselves understaffed and under resourced.

“These reports are critical to the decision making of the Parole Board, and it is inevitable there will be delays in our decision making unless we get the reports we need in the timeframes we need them in.”

Chief executive Ciarín de Buis added: “At the end of 2024 there were 52 applicants who did not have their application considered in a timely fashion, due to delays in our receiving reports – specifically reports from the Irish Prison Service (including the IPS Psychological Services) and the Probation Service.

“This is something the Parole Board takes very seriously, and we are working with those services to ensure these delays are minimised.”

The Parole Board issued a total of 76 parole decision in 2024, six of which related to cases considered in 2023.