The convicted leader of the "Real IRA", Michael McKevitt, was granted compassionate temporary release from Portlaoise prison yesterday.
It is believed he was granted the release to visit his terminally-ill mother. The security details of his release are confidntial and it is not known when he is expected to return to Portlaoise.
The 53-year-old Louth man was found guilty last August by the Special Criminal Court of directing the activities of an organisation styling itself Oglaigh na hEireann (commonly referred to as the "Real IRA") under new legislation brought in after the Omagh bombing.
He was also convicted of membership of the same organisation and received a sentence 20 years and six years, to run concurrently, for the two offences for which he had been convicted.