Vicious killers like Jozef Puska will be sentenced to 'life without parole' for as long as a Judge decides under new laws being considered by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

Currently, every prisoner in the State, no matter how heinous the crime, is entitled to an automatic parole hearing after 12 years.

And this is one of the reasons that the average life sentence in Ireland amounts to just 19 years.

READ MORE - Ashling Murphy's boyfriend tells evil Jozef Puska: 'Because of you I'll never get to marry my soulmate'

However, this could all be set to change dramatically.

Ms McEntee told reporters on Saturday that she is working on fresh legislation that will include provisions to give new discretion to a Judge to impose sentences without parole for periods of 20, 30, 40 or however many years the Judge sees fit.

She said: "A body of work has been done and I have a proposal in my department which would essentially allow a Judge in certain circumstances, so potentially for a life sentence or mandatory life sentence - mandatory is obviously for murder - life sentences could include rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse.

"In those instances where the Judge felt the crime was particularly heinous, particularly horrendous, that they could recommend to the parole board that the person might not come before the parole board for 20, 30, potentially longer.

Jozef Puska, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, County Offaly has been found guilty of murdering Ashling Murphy on the afternoon of 12 January 2022, she was attacked and killed while jogging along the Grand Canal just outside Tullamore, County Offaly.

"At the moment we know a person must come before the parole board after 12 years, we’ve increased that from seven in recent years and the average time a person spends in prison on a life sentence is about 19 years.

"But I think there’s an acknowledgement that certain crimes should have a higher sentence.

"That body of work is done. I do hope to bring it forward in legislation.

"I won’t be able to do it this year, but my intention is that I’d bring it forward in legislation next year."

Ms McEntee said the length of these special new sentences without parole would be up to individual judges.

Criminal Courts of Justice

She added: "This is not about tying anybody’s hands, it’s about making sure that the person who is hearing all of the evidence, who is understanding exactly what has happened, that they would be in a position to make this recommendation to the parole board.

"I think the Judge is the best-placed person to do so.

"At the moment, 12 years is the time when a person comes before the board, what I would recommend is that a Judge could potentially say 15, 20, 30, very much depending on the crime, but as I said, that body of work is done and I hope to be able to bring it forward in legislation next year."

Jozef Puska was sentenced to the mandatory life imprisonment this week by Mr Justice Tony Hunt for the brutal murder of beautiful Ashling Murphy.

He will be due before his first parole hearing in 2035 and could be freed shortly after that date under our current laws.