Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I fully appreciate the Deputy's objective in raising this question, which is to ensure that peace in Northern Ireland is not destabilised in any way. I certainly would not mean to infer that the Deputies' questions are motivated by anything other than that objective. I share that objective and I understand the context for it.

I make two points in response. I absolutely deplore the threats that have been made to prison officers by so-called dissident republicans, as does the Deputy.

Any negotiation or resolution of the situation in that prison can only come about when that threat is lifted. The Tánaiste discussed this matter with Secretary of State, Ms Villiers, at the start of this week.

In regard to the Deputy's other question on the operation of policy within that prison and elsewhere, as she knows, issues in regard to policing and many aspects of justice have been devolved to Northern Ireland, including to the Northern Ireland Assembly, and there are bodies in place to deal with some of the issues to which she has referred. There is the Northern Ireland Prison Service, which implements policy in that area, and also the Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman, which operates independently of the prison service and which has the legal capacity to investigate fully complaints in regard to the treatment of prisoners and the alleged violation of human rights.

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