Many of Ireland’s most notorious killers are to remain behind bars for a longer time because of a delay in the parole process.
Veronica Guerin’s assassin Brian Meehan, Limerick crime boss Dessie Dundon and evil killer rapist Michael Murphy are among long-term “lifers” who can’t get release dates. The average life sentence in Ireland over the past decade has moved from 14-15 to 18-19 years.
However, more than 50 prisoners have served well over 20 years and are being forced to serve longer sentences because of new changes to the parole system compounded with the fallout of Covid-19 lockdowns. The new Independent Parole Board was appointed in 2019. This took the decision making on release dates away from the Justice Minister and put it in the hands of the new body.
