Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 21 Nov 1995

Vol. 458 No. 5

Written Answers. - Representations to British Authorities.

Noel Dempsey

Question:

65 Mr. Dempsey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the representations, if any, made by his Department to the British authorities over the past 12 months in relation to the case of a person (details supplied); if he was informed of the reason for the insistence of the British authorities that no legal submissions were made on this person's behalf in August 1994; if his attention has been drawn to the allegations that he was mistreated on recapture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17200/95]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

A number of representations have been made to the British authorities in the case of the person referred to by the Deputy since he was involved in an escape attempt last year. When he complained of being ill-treated by prison staff following his recapture, the matter was immediately taken up by the Irish Embassy in London and a full medical examination was arranged. An official of the Embassy visited him shortly afterwards.

Subsequently, and following the prisoner's transfer to another prison in Britain, he was visited again by an Embassy official earlier this year. At that time he complained about his conditions of imprisonment and in particular about difficulties surrounding family and other visits. These matters were taken up with the British authorities and some improvement resulted for a time.

Regrettably the prisoner, who is currently classified as Category A "Exceptional Risk", has since June of this year again been subject to a regime of closed visits for family members and others. The Deputy will be aware that this regime was introduced by the British authorities for the small number of Category A prisoners following the security review which followed on earlier escape attempts. The Government has continued to make known its concern about the hardship which this imposes on the Republican prisoners involved and their families.

The person in question was again visited by an Embassy official in July and he has also been visited by a number of Oireachtas members in recent months. The Embassy is arranging another consular visit to take place shortly.

Regarding the Deputy's reference to a legal submission, I understand that the prisoner's legal representatives have prepared a submission seeking to reopen his case which was provided to the British Home Secretary last year. I further understand that this submission has now been formally acknowledged and that the Home Office have commenced enquiries into certain aspects of the case. The Deputy will appreciate that it is for the prisoners' legal representatives to pursue the matter at this stage.

I will continue to emphasise to the British authorities the critical importance of a positive approach to dealing with the conditions of the prisoner named by the Deputy, and of the other Republican prisoners in Britain, in the overall context of the peace process. For our part, the Government have made clear that we stand ready to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons for those Republican prisoners who have applied for a transfer to this jurisdicition.