Saoirse National Organiser Eoghan Mac Cormaic has urged all areas to follow the example of Cavan and Monaghan Saoirse groups who are conducting a concerted phone-in to kick off Prisoners' Month on 1 December.

Saoirse supporters should phone the offices of the 26 County Minister for Justice John O'Donoghue at the telephone numbers below. The groups have also outlined a list of suggested points to make.

Suggested points:

Release of prisoners is key confidence-building measure in the peace process
There were more releases under the Rainbow Coalition than under the present government
How can Irish nationalists criticise the British government for inaction on prisoners when the British can reply by pointing to the lack of releases by the Irish government
Treatment of Seán Kinsella seems motivated by vindictiveness - he has already served in England more than twice the average life sentence served in this State
40-year men in Portlaoise should be treated in exactly the same way as all other political prisoners - especially regarding compassionate parole. A release programme for them should being now.
All political prisoners should be released.
No political extradition to British injustice.
Officer of the Minister

Department of Justice
72 Stephen's Green
Dublin 2.
Phone (01) 6028202
Leinster House Office (01) 8183491

Constituency Office
14 Main Street
Caherciveen,
Co. Kerry.
Phone (066) 72631

Saoirse conference

SAOIRSE'S SIX COUNTY CHAIRPERSON Martin Meehan has extended a huge Cead Mile Failte to politicians, political parties, churches and any group concerned for the welfare of prisoners to a conference to be held on Sunday 30 November in the Felons club in Belfast.

Said the veteran republican, ``this is going to be a working conference. It will look at the positives and the negatives of the Saoirse campaign and we hope it will produce plenty of new ideas and fresh thinking for our activities in the coming weeks and months''.

Explaining that the conference would break down into workshops and discussions to allow everyone their say Meehan stressed that there ``is a need to put the whole area of POW issues on the political agenda. Ultimately Saoirse believes that all the POWs must be released, but until then we have to highlight the cases of those men in England who are now into their 23rd year, the 40 year men in Portlaoise, the fact that women POWs in Maghaberry still suffer discrimination and are jailed in a more restrictive regime than their male counterparts are just some of the grievances we need to address''.

Gerry Adams is pencilled in to make the main address of the day. Anyone wishing further information about the conference should contact Meehan at Belfast 439300.

Unionist alliance attacks Saoirse

Ulster and Democratic Unionists and Alliance councillors have conspired in an attempt to secure the conviction of three Sinn Fein Youth activists who were arrested after a peaceful protest on top of Belfast City Hall on November 3.

The council's Policy Resources committee has invoked by-laws which recommend prosecuting the protesters.

Sinn Fein councillor Micheal Browne told An Phoblacht that the decision to recommend prosecution was 'ironic' given that last month the council adopted a motion supporting the release of political prisoners.

Browne said there was no precedent for the move, saying that city hall has always been a focus for political protests.