S.I. No. 135/1983:

RULES FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF PRISONS, 1983.

RULES FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF PRISONS, 1983.

I, MICHAEL NOONAN, Minister for Justice, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Prisons (Ireland) Acts, 1826 to 1907, the Penal Servitude Act, 1891, the Prisons Act, 1898, and the Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914 (as adapted by the General Prisons Board (Transfer of Functions) Order, 1928 (S. R. & O., No. 79 of 1928)), hereby make the following rules:--

1. These Rules may be cited as the Rules for the Government of Prisons, 1983.

2. The Interpretation Act, 1937 (No. 38 of 1937), applies to these Rules.

3. (1) Notwithstanding any provision of the Rules for the Government of Prisons, 1947 (S. R. & O., No. 320 of 1947), where the Governor of a prison is of the opinion that accommodation in a prison is insufficient to enable each prisoner to occupy a cell by himself, the Governor may give a direction enabling, for so long as the said accommodation continues to be insufficient, two or more prisoners to occupy a cell and such direction may, in relation to the prison concerned, apply to prisoners generally or prisoners of a particular class or description.

(2) Where a direction under this Rule is for the time being in force and in the opinion of the Governor the insufficiency of accommodation which caused the direction to be made no longer exists he shall revoke the direction.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 24th day of May, 1983.

MICHAEL NOONAN,

Minister for Justice.

The Government hereby approve of the foregoing Rules.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government, this 24th day of May, 1983.

GARRET FITZGERALD,

Taoiseach.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The Rules provide that the Governor of a prison may, in certain circumstances, give a direction enabling two or more offenders to occupy a cell and that he may revoke such a direction.