A third Republican prisoner at Portlaoise prison began hunger striking yesterday over a demand to be granted political status.
In a statement at the weekend, Republican Sinn Fein condemned the conditions in Portlaoise which sparked the protests, now in their third week. The party called on the prison governor to restore political status to the prisoners. "All that it will take to end this legitimate protest is for the prison authorities to use a little common sense," the statement read.