Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. It is very important that the independent assessment of the rationale for isolating prisoners in the CSU is carried out. In correspondence I have had with the Northern Ireland Office and the Prison Service of Northern Ireland, it seems they are both playing off each other with one saying it is the others responsibility but with nobody taking responsibility for it.

We have been informed that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland decides who is separated from the separated prisoners, which is the case in point here in relation to the care and supervision unit. There were five prisoners in the unit. I think two of them have been released at this stage. They have been separated for over three years. They are even in isolation from other isolated prisoners. It is a human rights situation. It is in the interests of removing the seeds of future conflict that these issues be dealt with. It would be important to impress on the Northern Ireland Office the need for this rationale to be looked at. Those in the office need to accept responsibility for the isolation of these prisoners within the prison - it is happening on their orders - and they need to deal with it.

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