Dissident republican inmates stage dirty protest
Dissident republican inmates are staging a dirty protest and holding parades in front of paramilitary murals in the country’s maximum security prison, warders claimed today.
Subversive prisoners, belonging to factions that recently murdered a PSNI constable and two British soldiers, are also allowed to regularly order in food, it is alleged.
The Prison Officers Association (POA) said visitors to the hardline republicans do not have to be searched by drug sniffer dogs – a routine for all staff and other visitors.
The warders’ organisation said working conditions have become appalling at Portlaoise Prison in the midlands, where six inmates are smearing excrement on their cell walls.
The protest was sparked because privileges were withdrawn after the killings in the North of Constable Stephen Paul Carroll and Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar.
POA leaders are now demanding Justice Minister Dermot Ahern intervene, but he rejected some of the POA claims as outlandish.
Eugene Dennehy, POA deputy general secretary, said there is a real question in regard to management at Portlaoise.
“There is a dirty protest going on there the last 18 days and it is causing huge problems for our members,” he said.
“The stench is horrific.
“Subversive prisoners are also carrying out military parades.
“The staff have to withdraw from the landing and remain silent while these military parades takes place. They can’t get back on to the landing while this is going on.
“This is incredible in the most high security prison in Europe.”
Members of the INLA, the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA are among the 48 republican prisoners housed on four landings which have more than 120 cells.
While these inmates are separated for security reasons, Mr Dennehy said the rest of the prison system is chronically overcrowded.
A mural featuring military clothing, balaclavas and rifles “like you would see on a gable end wall in west Belfast”, have been painted on a wall, he said.
A large red band with the words, Irish National Liberation Army, also fills the length of a landing, added Mr Dennehy.
Brian Purcell, director of the Irish Prison Service (IPS), said some of the allegations were exaggerated and denied claims some empty cells are used by inmates as walk-in wardrobes.
However, he confirmed subversive inmates have historically been allowed to order in food to be cooked in the prison kitchen “two or three times a year”.
The prisons chief said there were confidential operational reasons why republican inmates’ visitors were not being searched with the drug dog, but this is to be changed.
“The intention is they will go through the exactly the same procedures in relation to the dogs (in the future),” he added.
An IPS spokesman said six prisoners are currently on protest in Portlaoise Prison.
“They are smearing excrement on their own cell walls,” he added.
“Because they are on protest they are not allowed free association. However, the protest is not interfering with the running of the prison or its staff.”
