No change to listed status for Maze prison buildings

Last June, Mr Poots' predecessor Sammy Wilson asked officials to look at whether he could revoke listed status of the Maze hospital and part of the H-blocks.

Mr Poots said an Environment Agency review had concluded the listed buildings on the site merit such protection.

The decision to list the buildings has been contrvoersial with some unionists claiming they could become a "shrine" to republican hunger strikers who died in the jail in 1981.

However, Republicans saythe jail is an important part of Irish history and would like the site to become a conflict transformation centre as recommended in the original Maze masterplan which also included plans for a national sports stadium which have since been dropped.

A development corporation is due to be set up to look at what to do with the site.

It was revealed last year that more than 350,000 has been spent maintaining the listed buildings on the site of the former Maze prison over the last four years.