Dublin Castle will be the venue today for a conference entitled, "Building the Peace: The Role of Loyalist and Republican Political ex-Prisoners". Deaglán de Bréadún reports.
The one-day conference seeks to build on the commitment given in the Belfast Agreement by the UK and Ireland which states: "The Governments continue to recognise the importance of measures to facilitate the reintegration of prisoners into the community . . ."
Speakers include: Senator Mary White of Fianna Fáil, the businessman Sir George Quigley, Mr Wilhelm Verwoerd from the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, Mr Mike Ritchie of Coiste na n-Iarchimí (Committee of ex-Prisoners), the secretary general of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Seán Aylward, Ms Mary Bunting from the Equality Directorate at Stormont, Ms Nuala Kerr of the Special EU Programmes Body and Mr Peter Shirlow of the University of Ulster.
There are workshops on a variety of issues, including employment, human rights and the media. The conference concludes with a plenary session on "The Inclusion and the Role of Political Ex-Prisoners in Crafting the Future".