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

In regard to the two points the Deputy makes, I have already made clear that the Tánaiste earlier this week discussed the situation of the threat that is in place in regard to officers and members of staff working in this prison. That must be lifted to ensure those prison officers have the ability to do their very difficult work safely. When that threat is lifted, it will create the environment within which other and further issues can be dealt with.

I understand the point the Deputy is making. As I said earlier, we understand the ability of issues like this to destabilise what is a difficult and fraught environment and the consequences that could have within the prison and across Northern Ireland. That is why the Tánaiste raised the general issue of the threat with the Secretary of State, Ms Villiers. However, I must emphasise that very important powers were devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, and for the right reasons, namely, to ensure leaders of communities in Northern Ireland have the ability to make decisions that matter to their communities. We respect that and believe it is essential to the future stability and security of the North. It is within this framework that those decisions are made.

As I said to Deputy Wallace, there is an ombudsman in place to deal with concerns people have and there is a Northern Ireland Prison Service in place to deal with what are very difficult and challenging circumstances. We are all united, as noted on the earlier question put to me by Deputy Smith, in our desire to see the Haass negotiations reach a strong and successful conclusion and ensure the kind of threats we are referring to are lifted, and that members of the PSNI and the Northern Ireland Prison Service, as Deputy Daly herself has said, are not subject to the kind of appalling murder and threats they have been subject to in the past.

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