asked the Minister for Justice if he received a letter from the Executive Committee of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties requesting a meeting with him to discuss a number of matters, including a prisons' inquiry, extension of legal aid, and so on; and if he intends to accede to this request.

I assume that the Deputy is referring to a letter which was sent to me with a copy of a statement that had been released to the media before the letter was delivered. Beyond referring to the statement the letter contained only one sentence, which is as follows: "The Council welcomes your concern in visiting prisons and would welcome a future meeting with you on this issue." The statement did not refer to legal aid.

As regards the call for an inquiry into prison administration, I have already replied at length to a parliamentary question by the Deputy (Dáil Debates Volume 302, column 1192). However, the statement mainly related to certain disturbances that had occurred in Mountjoy Prison and to a statement which I had issued on that matter. I reject the criticisms made of my statement. However, I do not wish to comment further as I understand that a recent High Court judgment rejecting a habeas corpus application related to the disturbance may be the subject of an appeal to the Supreme Court.