Unionist politicians and the family of a police constable murdered in England by the IRA have expressed outrage at the release of six IRA members from Portlaoise Prison on Friday night.
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, described the releases as "obscene and immoral" while Ulster Unionist Party MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson said the releases reflected further appeasement of the IRA. The SDLP, however, said prisoner releases must be viewed as part of the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
The most senior of the IRA men released was Mr Michael O'Brien, the "officer commanding" in Portlaoise, who had been serving an 18-year sentence for attempted murder in England. He was part of an IRA unit which murdered Constable Glen Goodman in 1992 in England.
The police officer's father, Mr Brian Goodman, said he and his family felt angered and betrayed at Mr O'Brien's release. "Even though we half-anticipated he would get early release, it did not soften the blow when it happened," he told the BBC.
"We feel let down totally by this [British] government. We feel very, very angry," he said.
Mr Robinson of the DUP said the releases justified the IRA's campaign of violence and proved that terrorism had succeeded. "People are literally getting away with murder." He said the UUP leadership of Mr David Trimble and Mr John Taylor, in accepting the agreement, had endorsed the releases.
"This is what they advocated," he said. "As the prisoners get out of jail the IRA will get into government. It's all part of the capitulation to the terrorists."
Mr Donaldson, an opponent of the agreement, said the releases were the latest in a series of concessions made to the IRA by the British and Irish governments. "This demonstrates the extent to which the two governments will go to appease the IRA," he said.
"The fact that one of these prisoners [Mr Michael Cully] had only served six months of his 12-year sentence makes a mockery of justice and demonstrates that London and Dublin lack the resolve to hold the IRA to account for its failure to give up violence for good," added Mr Donaldson.
"I think there is a growing concern within the Northern Ireland community that Tony Blair will not deliver on his pledges, regardless of the ongoing violence by the paramilitary organisations, and that prisoners will continue to be released."
Mr Andrew Mackay, the Conservative spokesman on Northern Ireland, said IRA prisoners should not be released when the IRA was not co-operating with the decommissioning body and when so-called punishment shootings and beatings were continuing.
"It is one thing to comply with the Belfast Agreement, which we support, another to appease terrorists who are not fulfilling their part of the agreement. We will be watching the actions of the two governments very carefully during the next two weeks to make sure such appeasement does not happen," added Mr Mackay.
Mr Martin Ferris, a former IRA prisoner and member of Sinn Fein's ardchomhairle, welcomed the releases. "They are in the spirit of the ongoing peace process and we commend the Taoiseach and his Government for this timely initiative," he said.
Former SDLP lord mayor of Belfast, Mr Alban Maginness, said it was wrong to condemn the releases when they were part of the terms of the agreement.
The Alliance president, Dr Philip McGarry, called upon UUP politicians to accept that the early release of prisoners was an integral part of the agreement.
Mr Cedric Wilson of the UK Unionist Party said that the releases showed that the agreement was totally corrupting democratic politics and the rule of law.
