The decision to release nine IRA prisoners was taken in the last few days after a series of telephone conversations between Government Ministers.
This followed a decision by the Cabinet last week, in advance of the Good Friday agreement, to devolve the power to decide on prisoner releases to its Sub-Committee on Northern Ireland. The Cabinet does not meet this week because of the Easter break, so the decision to devolve its power to order releases was taken to allow for a quick gesture in the event of a deal being struck at Stormont.
The members of the sub-committee - the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, and Ministers for Justice, Foreign Affairs and Defence - spoke to each other by telephone over the Easter weekend before deciding to release the nine prisoners.
The speed of the decision and numbers involved will be seen as evidence of the Government's determination to bolster republican support for the agreement. As the Sinn Fein leadership prepares for its ardfheis next weekend it now has a concrete advance to show its members arising from the deal.
Government sources said they were hopeful the British government would soon release some republican and loyalist prisoners north of the Border to demonstrate the benefits the deal holds for their political representatives.
According to the Northern Ireland Agreement, "both governments will put in place mechanisms to provide for an accelerated programme for the release of prisoners". This programme will apply to prisoners affiliated to organisations which have established and are maintaining "a complete and unequivocal ceasefire".
There are now just over 30 IRA prisoners still in jail in the Republic, serving sentences ranging from 40 years for capital murder to short sentences for relatively minor offences. There are also a number on remand awaiting trial. There are more than a dozen further prisoners affiliated to small republican groups or none.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said last night that the released prisoners should now consider what gestures they could make to ease the pain of victims of violence and their families. He said the releases should be seen as part of the process of building last Friday's agreement into a lasting peace.
Republicans committed to building on the agreement should acknowledge the important contribution made by the Apprentice Boys, whose members abided peacefully by the decision of the Parades Commission to reroute their traditional march from the disputed section of the Ormeau Road.
Calling for gestures from republicans, he urged those with information to give details of where certain victims of Northern violence are buried. This would allow relatives to properly grieve for their loved ones who had been missing for a long time.
The Labour Party justice spokesman, Mr Pat Upton, welcomed the releases, and also called on republicans "to continue to take steps to demonstrate their commitment to the establishment of a lasting peace on the island."