Michael Finucane
Question:41 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of loyalist and republican prisoners released from prisons in Northern Ireland as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. [9645/00]
Written Answers. - Northern Ireland Issues.
The Good Friday Agreement commits both Governments to put in place mechanisms to provide for an accelerated programme for the release of prisoners convicted of offences relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Prisoners affiliated to organisations which are not maintaining a complete ceasefire do not benefit from the arrangements.
The Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act, 1998 gives effect in Northern Ireland to this commitment. Since the Act came into force on 28 July 1998, 331 prisoners have been released under its provisions. Of these, 152 are classified as loyalists, 169 as republicans, and ten as "others".
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently suspended the licence of one of the persons included in the total above.