Reports of UK parole board payouts could inspire lawsuits in Ireland

According to The Irish Times, sources in the Department say they are concerned by reports that 463 cases were taken against UK parole authorities in 2015-16, whereas the Irish Parole Board has only been sued once in the past five years.

An internal report completed for the Irish Prison Service in April found that most cases in Ireland are subject to significant delays.

The Parole Board for England and Wales has been forced to pay out over £1.1 million (€1.22 million) in compensation to prisoners from April 2011 to March 2016 because of delayed hearings.

There has been a recent sharp rise to 463 cases in 2015/16 alone, up from 89 in 2014/15. Claimants were awarded £50 per month of delay, even if they were eventually turned down for parole.