Ms Roisin McAliskey is suffering regular panic attacks, and her health is
deteriorating, according to Mr Joe Costello, a Labour Party senator. Ms
McAliskey (26), who gave birth to a daughter seven months ago, was
suffering 12 or 13 panic attacks a day and would not be fit for court "for
the foreseeable future", he said. A Department of Foreign Affairs
spokeswoman said constant pressure was being applied on the British
government to review Ms McAliskey's case. "The humanitarian aspects of this
case have been on our minds for some time."

At a conference in Dublin highlighting delays in the transfer of prisoners
from British jails, Mr Costello said Ms McAliskey had fallen and was moved
to a different hospital the day before he
visited a number of prisoners in Britain last Friday. A Fine Gael TD, Mr
Dan Neville, accompanied him to mark the second anniversary of the 1995
Transfer of Persons Act.

Mr Costello said Ms McAliskey had injured her leg and suffered regular
panic attacks at the Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital in Beckenham, London.
She faces extradition to Germany in connection with a mortar attack on a
British army base at Osnabrück in June 1996.

However, court proceedings have been delayed because of her pregnancy and
ill-health. Ms McAliskey, who has denied any involvement, is being detained
in hospital on conditional bail. The British government has been
persistently criticised for her treatment since her arrest in November
1996. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, recently raised the
issue with the Northern Secretary.