Jailed jockey Christy McGrath, who is serving a life sentence in prison in Britain for murder, is to be transferred to an Irish prison by the end of the year.
McGrath (29), Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, was convicted in January 2001 of the murder of Gary Walton in Coundon, Durham, England, the previous July.
McGrath and supporters on both sides of the Irish Sea, who include 130 TDs and Senators and more than 50 British MPs, have maintained he is innocent.
In a statement this week, his family and the Justice for Christy McGrath Campaign confirmed he would be returning to Ireland from Gartree prison in Leicestershire, where he is serving his sentence.
The statement, which was signed by his mother Ann, Independent TD for South Tipperary Séamus Healy and Fianna Fáil Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú, said the Government had approved his application for repatriation.
It also stated that human rights solicitor Gareth Peirce, who successfully fought the convictions of the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four and Clonmel man Frank Johnson, would continue to represent him.
Ms McGrath said she was "absolutely thrilled that Christy is coming home, and he's delighted too". She said she and her husband, Christy snr, and the family, would now be able to visit him every week instead of every two to three months.
The family also has concerns about his health. In recent years he has had a pacemaker fitted to monitor a heart condition that never bothered him during his career as a jockey but is believed to have been triggered by the stress of his arrest, conviction and subsequent imprisonment.
He has been admitted to hospital a number of and may require surgery in the future.
It is understood that McGrath applied to be repatriated last March. The Department of Justice approved his request and it now has to be approved by the British authorities, although this is not expected to be a stumbling block.
The Chief State Solicitor must apply to the High Court for a warrant for his transfer, which is expected to take three to four months to complete.
It is not yet known to which prison he will be transferred.
Mr Healy described the news as a positive development,and said he was pleased for McGrath and his family. He said it would be important to redouble the efforts, both here and in Britain, to have the case reopened.
Fine Gael TD Tom Hayes, also Tipperary South, said the repatriation was probably the first concession that the British authorities had made in the case, and he welcomed that.
He hoped that "the huge support" that the campaign had gathered in Britain would continue, Mr Ó Murchú said he was pleased for McGrath and his family, because he had experienced some bad health problems that would require a lot more attention.
It was important that he was in a stress-free regime and that his family would be able to visit him on a regular basis.