The problems experienced by Irish prisoners abroad have been recognised in a major report (compiled by former junior minister Chris Flood) received this month by the Irish government.

In accepting the report the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, TD also announced that the government would provide €218,000 to the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) which brings the amount given by the Irish government to this prisoners support body to almost one million euro.

Unveiling the funding Minister Ahern said:

"One of the most important functions of my department is the provision of support and consular assistance to our citizens who find themselves in difficulties abroad," the Minister said.

"I am very conscious of the problems of isolation, communication and cultural difficulties which many Irish prisoners experience abroad," he added.

"For their families back in Ireland, often elderly parents, the experience of having their loved ones detained in distant locations can be particularly distressing, and visits to the incarcerated family member can present considerable logistical challenges."

This latest initiative is part of a process set in train by the Department of Foreign Affairs as part of a commitment contained in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) in 2000.

The comments from the Minister and the work of the ICPO in this area are applauded by the Celtic League. We have periodically highlighted the plight of Irish prisoners in various overseas countries, particularly the United Kingdom, and a report of this quality and the official focus now on this issue contrast sharply with previous inertia over the issue.

A copy of the report by Chris Flood can be found at:

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Earlier Celtic News items on the plight of Irish prisoners overseas, including deaths in custody in English jails, can be found at:

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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

18/08/07

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