Eamon O Cuív defends prison visit to Jonathan Dowdall

The Fianna Fáil TD said: "What you work towards is making sure they don't get involved in criminal activity again and lead useful lives."

Eamon O Cuiv has been visiting Republican prisoners since 1994 but "does not deal with gangland criminals". File photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Fianna Fáil TD Eamon O Cuív has defended his prison visit to convicted criminal and former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall.

The Galway West TD visited Mr Dowdall when he was in the Republican wing of Portlaoise Prison for his part in an attack on a man who he waterboarded, today's Irish Daily Star reported. Mr Dowdall was last week sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder of David Byrne in Dublin having turned State's witness.