Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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29. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recent meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement on the outstanding issues relating to prisoners in Maghaberry Prison as outlined by the guest speakers; and if he will be proactive on engaging with the relevant authorities, the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for an immediate and just resolution. [36122/16]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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This question comes from a recent meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, of which I am a member. We had a discussion of the outstanding issues for prisoners in Maghaberry Prison. The question is to ask, once again, the extent of the engagement with the authorities in the North, the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice and the Secretary of State for an immediate and just resolution of these issues, which we have been talking about a number of years.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the recent meeting held by the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement Committee on the situation in Maghaberry Prison, at which the Deputy was present. In addition to hearing from a prominent solicitor, the committee was briefed by two members of the independent assessment team set up to monitor implementation of the 2010 agreement between separated prisoners in Maghaberry and the Northern Ireland Prison Service. It was very useful that they were able to share insights based on their involvement with the prison over a number of years. As the Deputy will recall, a stock take report of the 2010 agreement was published in November 2014. It made a number of recommendations to be implemented within a period of six months. At the time, my strong view was that the full implementation of the stock take report offered an opportunity to create a conflict-free environment in the prison. I conveyed this view in my regular meetings with the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers MP, and with the then Minister of Justice in the Executive, David Ford MLA, and with their successors.

In addition, my officials continue to engage on a regular and ongoing basis with a range of interlocutors across the devolved and non-devolved authorities, members of the stock take group, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and others to discuss, explore and encourage progress.

As the Oireachtas committee heard during its recent deliberations, the 2010 agreement has not been fully implemented and this contributes to the ongoing tensions at the prison. In this context, I highlight the failure to establish the prison forum, which is disappointing. This is something which I have raised in my discussions with the NIO and the Minister for Justice. I continue to encourage all those with good offices to move on the forum but at this stage it is clear that momentum has been lost.

Also heightening tension has been the sense of threat which prison officers and their families perceive. The murders of two prison officers, Adrian Ismay last March and David Black in 2012, have set back relations between prison officers and prisoners, in addition to being a tragedy for the families and friends of the murdered officers.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The Northern Ireland Executive this summer agreed to implement the recommendation of the fresh start paramilitary panel that a review of the separated regime in Maghaberry be established. I look forward to the review panel being appointed and to seeing their work completed. I believe that the review opens up an opportunity to address genuine concerns regarding separation, including such issues as association on the landings and access to education. My Department engaged fully in the paramilitary panel's consultation process.

As the Oireachtas committee also heard, Maghaberry Prison was identified by the criminal justice inspector, Brendan McGuigan, in a report last year as needing work to make the prison safer and to improve conditions for staff. Since publication of that report, the criminal justice inspectorate has continued with a programme of announced, low-impact visits to the prison which find that the situation has stabilised and that some progress has been achieved. More work remains to be done. In this regard, I acknowledge the additional report on Maghaberry published by the inspectorate today.

In making the desired progress in Maghaberry, the co-operation of both the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the prisoners themselves is required. I would encourage all with influence to move forward in the right spirit.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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There was an agreement in 2010 and a stock take in 2014. Since then the International Red Cross have been in the prison but the issues persist. The issues are full-body searching, controlled movement and access to education. Everybody agrees that the 2010 agreement is the only way forward for a conflict-free environment and I have to draw a contrast with Portlaoise Prison, which also houses so-called dissidents in a particular wing and none of these issues exist in that prison, where there is a much better relationship between the staff and prisoners. Generally, there is a fair and respectful relationship between staff and prisoners which is missing in Maghaberry.

Everybody should be able to carry out their work without fear or threat but we cannot leave the status quoas it is at the moment. There is a need to encourage a renewal of the dialogue between prisoners and authorities, to which both had signed up.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I share the Deputy's disappointment that the forum has not progressed in the manner in which we would all have wished. I am very familiar with the situation in Portlaoise Prison, the high security prison being in my constituency. The Deputy will be aware that the reasons for the forum not progressing are complex. We need to see how best we can move matters forward and I continue to encourage all the stakeholders to implement the report of the independent assessment team. I attach importance to the implementation of the recommendation of the paramilitary panel that a review of the separated regime be established, and this recommendation has been accepted by the Northern Ireland Executive in its action plan on tackling paramilitary activity. It is important we continue to engage. Progress in implementing the action plan will be monitored by the independent reporting commission being established by both the British and Irish Governments.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I will refer to three things. There has been a recent revocation of the licence of Tony Taylor, based on the signature of the Secretary of State. He was arrested in appalling circumstances with his son who has mental health issues. Second, a case is going through the courts at the moment in which video recordings of strip searching have been allowed and these can be retained for six years. Finally, there is a denial of access to education in Maghaberry and there is more access in areas outside of Roe House, where the republican prisoners are, than inside it.

Some of these issues undermine the dignity of prisoners. The prisoners assure us that they want a conflict-free environment but they believe it is all process and no progress in what they signed up to.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy refers to a number of issues on which I would like to see progress. My officials continue to remind the Northern Ireland Office of our continuing interest in the humanitarian welfare of prisoners, particularly in the care and supervision unit of Maghaberry Prison. I hope to meet the Stormont justice Minister, Claire Sugden, later this afternoon and I would be happy to raise the subject with her and tell her that the issue was the subject of a parliamentary question this afternoon. Before nightfall, I intend to speak to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, and I would also be happy to relate to him the Deputy's and my concern on the matter, as well as the need to move matters forward at a pace which we have not experienced in recent times.