DOCUMENTS HELD AT the Department of the Taoiseach from 1983 include correspondence between Dr Ian Paisley and Garrett Fitzgerald about the possibility of a scheme which would financially assist families from Northern Ireland visit prisoners incarcerated in the Republic.

Although the Taoiseach was amenable to the idea, eventually the government found it to be a non-runner because of lack of precedent and expense.

In a final letter on the matter, the Fine Gael leader told Paisley that it would be difficult to justify the introduction of a scheme to help relatives coming from Northern Ireland when no such arrangements are made for families within the State which are in similar positions.

It would be seen as discriminatory, he said, as Community Welfare Officers decided about grants on a case-by-case basis.

At the time, there were about 200 prisoners from Northern Ireland jailed in jails across the 26 counties.

Before writing to Paisley, Fitzgerald checked if there were any plans in place for financial assistance from the UK to Irish families whose loved ones were being detained in Northern Ireland or British prisons. He was advised that no such scheme existed, a fact he passed on to Paisley.

He also asked for a cost analysis. According to the Department of Justice, even a “modest scheme” could cost about £80,000, a sum disputed by the Taoiseach.