Five young Irish women who were strip-searched after taking part in a peaceful demonstration in Scotland have received an apology from Scottish police.
The women were held in a cell for eight hours at Kilmarnock police station on February 12th, after being arrested while taking part in a protest at the presence of a nuclear submarine at Faslane.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, told the women that Strathclyde Police Department carried out the strip-searches before they realised the women were Irish nationals.
The police acknowledged to the Irish Consul General in Edinburgh, Mr Daniel Mulhall, that the decision to subject Irish citizens to a "full search" was wrong.
The Scottish authorities also said the decision led to "inappropriate procedures being adopted".
"They have apologised unreservedly for the way in which our citizens were dealt with and have undertaken to ensure that there is no recurrence of this most regrettable incident," Mr Cowen told the families and the Kilkenny Fianna Fail TD, Mr John McGuinness, who raised the matter.