Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree about working together. In that context I wish to raise with the Tánaiste a very serious issue, that is, the fact that five male republican prisoners who are on remand in Roe House, in Maghaberry Prison, are being strip-searched twice a day and being brought to and from court. That means over 100 strip-searches or, as they are called in the jargon, full-body searches, are being carried out on these men over a 12-day period. The prison authorities have the technology to obviate the necessity of doing this. I believe that it is unnecessary and purposely degrading treatment and conflicts with any decent human rights code. It seems to be directed solely against republicans. It is also worth noting that two women co-accused prisoners in Hydebank prison are, very thankfully, not being subjected to this treatment. Will the Tánaiste assure me that urgent representations - and I mean urgent because these hearings are going on day after day - will be made to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to the British Prime Minister to stop this barbaric treatment from happening?

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