Republican inmates enjoy murals, drills and order-in steaks

PARAMILITARY murals, military drills where the staff have to remain silent, lax drug checks, blinkered security cameras and order-in steaks are part of a privileged regime for dissident republican inmates in Portlaoise Prison.

Prison boss Brian Purcell confirmed the privileges, but denied there were double standards in the treatment of subversive versus ordinary criminals and said there were “historical and valid” reasons for the different regime.

During dramatic revelations at the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) conference, it emerged: