A government spokesman has described the British decision to downgrade the security status of 13 republican prisoners as "a welcome and positive development".
The move is seen as a confidence-building measure by the British government ahead of the multi-party talks in Northern Ireland which are scheduled to recommence next month.
Home Office sources in London confirmed last night that the prisoners, who had been held in Special Secure Units (SSUs) in four high-security prisons across Britain, had been down-graded from exceptional risk Category A to high risk Category A.
As a result of a "regular classification security review", the Prison Service said the prisoners would no longer be held in the SSUs and had been transferred to the main wings of the prisons.
The prisoners were held in the SSUs at Whitemoor, Cambridge; Belmarsh, south London; and at Full Sutton and Frankland prisons in Yorkshire.
There are 16 republican prisoners in British prisons and the review of their security classification means they will be eligible for open visits from their families, a decision they have long sought.
Indeed, following a visit to the prisoners earlier this month, a Sinn Fein delegation called on the British government to end the closed visits regime to which all the prisoners had been subject for some years.
The new regime means they can re-establish physical contact with their families which they did not have as a result of the closed visits.
The prisoners will also be allowed access to prison facilities including education workshops and gymnasiums.
Three other republican prisoners, who are not classified as exceptional risk Category A, have not had their security status reviewed under the current scheme.
They are not being held in SSUs. One other prisoner, who was described as "not connected" with an IRA paramilitary offence, has also had his security status down-graded.
The 13 prisoners, newly downgraded to "high risk", have been moved to new places of confinement.
Sinn Fein spokesman Mr Michael Brown welcomed the move saying the conditions in the special secure units were "appalling".
He said Sinn Fein wanted to see all prisoners released but pending that, "this move is particularly welcome".