THE detention of Ms Roisin McAliskey and at least two other cases of Irish prisoners detained in Britain will be raised with the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, this week, following a visit to Holloway Women's Prison and Belmarsh Prison by Labour Party politicians.
At the end of a two day visit to London on Saturday, the Labour TD, Mr Joe Costello, said while there had been "some improvements" for Irish prisoners at Belmarsh, he would be asking Mr Spring to consider evidence of "a regime which certainly isn't very conducive to anyone's health".
The Labour delegates, who included Mr Declan Bree Mr Tommy Broughan and Senator Sean Maloney, said the cases of Ptk McGinley and Danny McNamee, who was convicted of the IRA Hyde Park bombing, raised questions of a miscarriage of justice.
Their assessment of the visit, during which they met Ms McAliskey and 12 Irish prisoners in Belmarsh, is that much work remains to be done, particularly in the areas of strip searching, access to medical facilities and repatriation. Several prisoners complained at the lack of open social visits at Belmarsh despite the considerable amount of time they have spent in prison. The prisoners also complained of poor medical facilities.
When the Labour politicians raised the issue of strip searching with prison authorities at Belmarsh during a visit last November, Mr Costello said he was told it would be "looked into". However, while it remained a condition of Category A status in prisons, Mr Costello said he welcomed evidence that the number of strip searches had been reduced.
The politicians left their meeting with the prison governor with the understanding that open social visits would also be considered. Mr Costello said he raised the possibility of the visits taking place in a separate remand centre at Belmarsh, which the governor told him should be possible to arrange. The prisoners, he said, felt there was no justification for the lack of open visits. However, they will be allowed open legal visits.
Ensuring that Ms McAliskey's case was "not pushed to the sidelines", a group of some 300 supporters staged a "musical protest" outside Holloway Women's Prison on International Women's Day on Saturday. Hundreds off flowers, sent from Ireland, were handed in to the prison, while green, white and purple balloons with the words "Free Roisin Now" were tied to trees outside.