ABOUT 400 prisoners, including some leading republican and loyalist paramilitaries, will be released on Christmas parole on Monday, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has confirmed.
It is estimated that 200 will be members of groups such as the IRA, INLA, UVF and UDA. Most will have seven days leave, although about 50 prisoners who have served more than 11 years will get 10 days parole.
Last year 392 prisoners were released on Christmas leave. This year the figure is only slightly higher. However, a higher percentage of prisoners are receiving parole as the prison population has dropped from 1,900 to just under 1,600.
The dramatic drop is mainly due to 160 prisoners being released as a result of an improvement in the remission rates.
Prison authorities say that over several years of Christmas leave no prisoners "of significance" have broken the parole terms. Generally the paramilitary groupings have honoured the system.
In September this year however, INLA prisoner Liam Heffernan absconded after receiving compassionate leave to attend the funeral of his mother, and has not returned or been captured.
