Opposition expresses serious concern about Mulhall photo

The opposition has expressed concern about the emergence of a photograph showing convicted murderer Charlotte Mulhall jokingly holding a knife to a man's throat in Mountjoy Prison.

Ms Mulhall is serving a life sentence for the murder of her mother's Kenyan boyfriend, Farah Swaleh Noor, in March 2005.

She has been transferred to Limerick Prison while an investigation is carried out into the photograph, which is believed to have been taken on a mobile phone.

Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan says the picture makes a mockery of the entire prison security system, while Labour's Pat Rabbitte says it is shocking that someone convicted of a brutal murder could wield a potentially lethal knife in prison.

Mr Rabbitte says Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has serious questions to answer about the matter.