Mayo community concerns over relocation of step-down prisoner deemed 'a risk to the public'

A Mayo Oireachtas member has raised concerns over the relocation of a step-down prisoner to a town in the county to which he had no connection - and causing consternation among the residents.

Senator Mark Duffy said he wanted 'to highlight the thinking behind this, for Mayo's sake and for the sake of every county and community'.

Speaking in An Seanad, he elaborated: "The individual had caused eight separate incidents in prison and was deemed to be a risk to the public. He had thrown boiling water over a prison warden's face. For whatever reason, it was decided he would be relocated to a town in Mayo.

"There were four social workers there to receive him and this caused concern in the community.

"Immediately, I was on the phone to housing authorities and community police, who were brilliant in terms of communicating with me.

"No public representative was communicated with. We found out at second hand through residents on the street.

"Within five minutes of him being in the house he was arrested because of an assault on one of the poor care workers supporting him. There was a subsequent court sitting and, thankfully, he has left the town.

"He should not have been there in the first place. He was clearly a risk to the public and there should be a step-down facility that protects the public, whether in Mayo or any county.

"He is no longer a risk to the public but I am highlighting it to make sure that incidents such as this do not happen in any town, village or county.

"When we have huge housing lists and people in an area desperately looking for housing, to have someone with no connection to an area causing a risk to the community is totally unacceptable.

"We need to have dedicated facilities for people who are a risk to the public and who are stepping down from prison. This cannot happen."