REAL IRA PRISONERS TO BE REPATRIATED
Real IRA prisoners to be repatriated
THE only three members of the Real IRA being held in British jails who are to be repatriated to the Irish Republic will not be freed early under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, Ulster Secretary of State Peter Mandelson insisted today.
The Government has acceded to a request for the three to be sent to Irish jails, even though the breakaway republican group which bombed Omagh killing 29 people is behind a terrorist offensive in London and Northern Ireland.
A senior British security source predicted that the dissidents opposed to the agreement would strike again and may be planning a "spectacular" bombing. Real IRA members Tony Hyland, Liam Grogan and Darren Mulholland were convicted of conspiracy to cause explosions in London in the summer of 1998, when they were students.
Mr Mandelson today confirmed plans for their transfer, claiming it was "routine". Moving prisoners from one jail to another happened all the time. But he insisted: "It has absolutely nothing to do with the Good Friday Agreement. It is routine action to transfer them from one jail to another and they are not eligible for early release, nor will anyone else be eligible for early release who has committed any offence since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement."
It is understood the three, who successfully applied to be moved under the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Person, will be sent to the high security Portlaoise prison, south of Dublin.
THE only three members of the Real IRA being held in British jails who are to be repatriated to the Irish Republic will not be freed early under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, Ulster Secretary of State Peter Mandelson insisted today.
The Government has acceded to a request for the three to be sent to Irish jails, even though the breakaway republican group which bombed Omagh killing 29 people is behind a terrorist offensive in London and Northern Ireland.
A senior British security source predicted that the dissidents opposed to the agreement would strike again and may be planning a "spectacular" bombing. Real IRA members Tony Hyland, Liam Grogan and Darren Mulholland were convicted of conspiracy to cause explosions in London in the summer of 1998, when they were students.
Mr Mandelson today confirmed plans for their transfer, claiming it was "routine". Moving prisoners from one jail to another happened all the time. But he insisted: "It has absolutely nothing to do with the Good Friday Agreement. It is routine action to transfer them from one jail to another and they are not eligible for early release, nor will anyone else be eligible for early release who has committed any offence since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement."
It is understood the three, who successfully applied to be moved under the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Person, will be sent to the high security Portlaoise prison, south of Dublin.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0742
Published Date: 28-Jul-00
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