Bail given to await release hearing

A man who was jailed for "running a pipe-bomb factory for the Continuity IRA," has been freed on bail until the High Court deals with his application for maximum remission from Portlaoise Prison.

Joseph Kirwan (40) claims he is being illegally held because the Minister for Justice failed to grant him a one-third remission of sentence under prison rules. The court was told yesterday that the Minister had not yet made any decision on the matter.

John Aylmer SC told Mr Justice David Keane that Kirwan "ticked all the boxes" for entitlement to the maximum remission and the State had consented to his being released on bail until October 8th when his application would be heard.

Backdated sentence

Mr Aylmer said Kirwan had been sentenced last December to six years imprisonment, with four years suspended. His sentence had been backdated to February 2013

Kirwan, Closelands, Ballybrittas, Co Laois, refused an offer by the Minister on Wednesday for a full temporary release because he was seeking "unconditional liberty."

He was anxious to visit family members abroad which he would not be able to do under the restrictive terms of a temporary release.

Kirwan was in court yesterday to hear that the Minister had agreed to unconditional bail for him.