A GROUP of Irish women who met Ms Roisin McAliskey on Saturday have called on the British government to ensure that Ms McAliskey, who is seven months pregnant, is not separated from her baby after its birth.
The delegation included Fianna Fail TD - Ms Cecilia Keaveney, Fine Gael TD Ms Mary Flaherty, Ms Brid Rodgers, of the SDLP, and Dr Jane Wilde, of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. They spent an hour in Holloway Women's Prison in London on Saturday, International Women's Day.
Ms Brid says the threat of the separation is causing Ms McAliskey great stress. The British government has been asked to act on one of three options to ensure mother and baby stay together. These include the transfer of Ms McAliskey to Maghaberry Women's Prison in Co Antrim; the withdrawal of Britain's opposition to bail; or a change in security status to Remand Category C, which would give her access to Holloway's mother and baby unit.
Ms Flaherty said the delegation went to London with great hope after the British Prison Service decided on Friday to ease the security restrictions under which Ms McAliskey is detained from High Risk Category A to Standard Risk Category A.
However, Ms Flaherty said the change had made little difference. "As a Category A prisoner, Roisin is still unable to mix with other prisoners and has no access to the mother and baby unit. The issues around the birth of her baby have not been resolved," she said.
Ms Flaherty said Ms McAliskey became emotional when she spoke of her experience in Castlereagh Holding Centre in Belfast in November. "She was upset at the nature of the questioning in Castlereagh, which was not related to any crime at all. I think the issue needs to be examined," Ms Haherty added.