The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, has called for the "immediate removal of all Irish republican prisoners from the special security units in Belmarsh and Full Sutton prisons and the immediate transfer of all Irish republican prisoners held in prisons in England".
He pointed out that Amnesty International had described conditions in special security units as constituting "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment".
In a statement, Mr Adams said: "The Blair government has set human rights internationally as a major platform of its foreign policy. The human rights of Irish republican prisoners must be respected. They should all be removed from the special security units and early dates given to all Irish republican prisoners in English prisons for their transfer to prisons in Ireland near their families."