The Five Demands

E’ stato negato per l’ennesima volta il rimpatrio di Noel Maguire, rimasto ormai l’unico prigioniero in Irlandese in Inghilterra. Il rifiuto è giunto attraverso una lettera datata 23 ottobre e pervenuta dal ufficio di Dermot Ahern, lettera che troverete di seguito

Noel Maguire received a letter at he beginning of november from the Irish Minister of Justice Dermot Aherne turning down his repatriation application.

This is a copy of that letter

Questa è la risposta di Noel Maguire / Noel Maguire’s reply

Dear Mr Ahern

Thank you for your letter dated October 23 in reply to my application for repatriation.
I am aware the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners does not confer an automatic right to be transferred – nor an obligation on any state to comply with a transfer request.
However what concerns me is the reason you have given to refuse my application.
You state that on balance you believe I have closer ties to the United Kingdom than to an Irish jurisdiction. I would dispute this. How can that be?
I have a wife, and a son and daughter, living in County Carlow in the Irish republic.
They are my immediate kith and kin. Although my wife and I are separated she has put in writing she is willing to visit me should I be repatriated to Portlaoise
Prison. A copy of her letter is in your possession as I write this. If it has been mislaid I can forward a copy.
I have not seen my son and daughter for over nine years. My wife – rightly – isn’t happy to bring them over to this country and put them through the ordeal of visiting
me in prison – not to mention the cost involved traveling and staying overnight in another country.
I have no family in Britain and my sole visitor is a non-relative.
Can you please explain why my wife, son and daughter are not considered to be my next of kin?
Also can you explain how you reached the conclusion I have closer ties to the United Kingdom than to an Irish jurisdiction – bearing in mind I have no relatives living in
the UK whatsoever – and am the bearer of an Irish republic passport which is still valid.
I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

NOEL MAGUIRE