Prisoners could make fewer court appearances under money-saving plan

A review of prisoner escort services, conducted as part of an ongoing process of expenditure evaluation, suggested that the need for prisoner court appearances could be greatly reduced through greater use of video-link facilities.

It also suggested that legislation could be introduced to provide for electronic warrants and streamline committal procedures.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has announced the establishment of an oversight group to assess and implement the recommendations of the review.

He said: “The management and delivery of prisoner escort services is a complex task and one which, at present, is carried out by the Prison Service Escort Corps (PSEC), by prison-based staff and by An Garda Síochána.

“I am pleased to see the review found that our current prisoner escort systems have many strengths, including the efficiency and professionalism of staff. It is also important to acknowledge however that there are areas where we can improve.

“Given the complex nature of this area, and the multi-agency impact of the report’s conclusions and recommendations, I think it is important to establish a delivery oversight group to help further analyse the recommendations and establish an implementation programme.”