Dissident activity opposed; prison segregation supported

Sinn Fein's chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness today warned
dissident republicans that they will not succeed in their attempt to
destroy the peace process in the North of Ireland.

Speaking on BBC radio, Mr McGuinness said he was concerned about the
recent rise in activity by dissident republican groups.

This follows allegations of an intelligence-gathering operation at a
hospital in west Belfast by the self-styled "Real IRA".

Medical records on the PSNI police were being accessed at the Royal
Victoria Hospital were being accessed to target police officers, it was
alleged.

Mr McGuinness the groups "harbour the notion that involvement in these
type of activities can bring about a collapse of the peace process."

"And bring about a situation where the IRA will go back to war. I
believe that their strategy will fail and will fail miserably," he
said.

Meanwhile, fire crews were forced to put a number of fires at the
high-security Maghaberry Prison in County Antrim. No-one was injured
after small fires broke out in a dining room and the wings of the
prison complex last night.

The incident comes just one week after a number of prisoners, including
republican dissidents and unionist paramilitaries staged a rooftop
protest over cell space at the jail.

Reports from Maghaberry indicate that prisoners are being locked up for
over 22 hours a day and can only receive closed visits. Prisoners from
opposing groups are forced to share accommodation with each other and
nationalist prisoners are being verbally and physically abused, not
only by loyalists, but also by prison warders.

West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty has called for the segregation of
prisoners at the prison.

"Whatever about our view of the political affiliations of these
prisoners, it is clear that the present situation is unacceptable.

"The Prison Service must realise that every prisoner has the right to
be treated in a humane manner and the forced integration of prisoners
must end."