THE GOVERNMENT HAS approved the withdrawal of armed military personnel from Portlaoise Prison later this year.

Soldiers were originally placed at the prison in 1973 as part of Ireland’s response to the Troubles, with IRA prisoners housed there.

But in light of the declining number of such prisoners, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has now obtained government approval for the withdrawal of armed military members from the prison.

This was a key recommendation in the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces report and talks have been underway in recent months, as The Journal previously reported.

Gardaí will assume a broader security role in the army’s stead, similar to that seen other prisons, including providing armed transport for prison escorts to and from court.

The posting of Irish Army members to Portlaoise was done to prevent escapes and other incidents involving subversives. In 1974, there was a break out by IRA members and in a separate incident that same year Irish Army soldiers freed prison officers held hostage.

In 1975 IRA man Tom Smith was shot in the head by the Defence Forces after using explosives to breach a door during an escape attempt.

It is understood An Garda Síochána or the government may still seek the assistance of the Defence Forces on a case-by-case basis for certain trials or for a particular transport.

A spokeswoman for Tánaiste Micheál Martin said she was unable to confirm how many Defence Forces members were stationed at Portlaoise Prison.

However, it is understood there was a small number posted there when the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces was carried out.

With reporting by Niall O’Connor