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Republic Of Ireland (Convicted Persons)

Volume 19: debated on Friday 5 March 1982

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asked the Prime Minister on how many occasions in each of the last 10 years and the present year Her Majesty's Government have been aware of persons convicted in the courts of the Republic of Ireland being offered the option of meeting the penalty imposed by the court or of emigrating to the United Kingdom.

I am not aware of any case in recent years where a citizen of the Republic of Ireland convicted in the courts of the Republic has been offered the option of meeting the penalty imposed by the court or of emigrating to the United kingdom. The Government would certainly be greatly concerned at such a case. I am informed that in the recent case of Mr. John Healy the magistrate concerned had not in fact imposed such an option. There have been cases in which British subjects have been allowed to leave the Republic for the United Kingdom instead of serving terms of imprisonment in the Republic.