The nine republican prisoners released from Portlaoise prison last night have pledged "total support" for the Sinn Fein leadership.
In a statement they said: "The release of all political prisoners must be an inevitable ingredient if we are to talk in the context of a search for a lasting and truly meaningful political resolution and ultimately peace."
Mr Martin Ferris, a Sinn Fein ardchomairle member, said the releases were "a positive indication of the seriousness with which the Irish Government has approached the peace process in relation to the issue of political prisoners" and called for an immediate amnesty for all "political prisoners". Loyalist and unionists reacted angrily. Mr Gary McMichael, the Ulster Democratic Party leader, said it was a sign of weakness by the Irish Government. "It's clear they don't feel confident enough to initiate prisoner releases after the referendum [on the agreement]. It is an inducement to shore up Sinn Fein's position in advance of their annual conference in Dublin on Saturday and that's a signal in itself of the poor state republicans are in relation to this agreement," he said.
More releases of republican prisoners from Portlaoise are not expected before Sinn Fein's ardfheis in Dublin on Saturday. "It is likely there will be further releases," a Department of Justice source confirmed. "All cases are under review in light of the Good Friday agreement."
The nine prisoners, serving sentences of between 18 months and 15 years, left the prison in Co Laois at 7.09 p.m. last night. None was due for release before next year, while the prisoner with the longest sentence was not due out for another seven years.
Among the nine prisoners released was Noel Magee (37), serving 111/2 years, and Anthony Heaney (32) serving a 15-year sentence. Around 30 republican prisoners remain in Portlaoise, most serving long sentences, including 40-year sentences for the murder of members of the security forces in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
The prisoners' spokesman, Bernard O'Hagan (36), was one of five men jailed in 1996 for having firearms, explosives and ammunition. Patrick Kavanagh (34), Patrick McCartney (36), Paul Murray (25) and Hugh Wilkinson (45) were all sentenced to six years along with O'Hagan and were due for release in 2001.
The last two of the nine prisoners were named as Patrick Morgan (29) from Clondalkin in Dublin, serving 18 months for firearms possession, and due for release next January, and Christopher O'Donnell from Co Louth, the longest serving prisoner of the nine, sentenced in July 1993 to 15 years for possession of explosives.
In a brief statement the Department of Justice said the nine had been granted full early release under section 33 of the 1939 Offences Against the State Act. Their release is unconditional, not requiring them to sign on at Garda stations or comply with any other conditions, other than lawful behaviour.
Mr O'Hagan said the prisoners were "obviously delighted for our families" and he said they wanted to "commend Sinn Fein and their negotiating team, particularly for their massive workload over the last number of weeks."
The Garda Representative Association's vice-president, Mr Michael Kirby, said anyone convicted of murdering a police officer should serve his full sentence. "We pressed for 40-year jail terms when the death sentence was removed from our statute book. It would be cheapening the lives of those who died for this country to just release people who killed in a cold-blooded fashion."
