News

Ahern not expecting IRA statement this month

Wednesday, 15 June 2005 22:17

The Taoiseach has said that he does not expect a statement from the IRA about its future before the end of this month.

Mr Ahern said he believes the IRA is more likely to make known its intentions during July or August.

He was speaking in London where he held talks with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the DUP leader, Ian Paisley.

Speaking after the talks, Ian Paisley indicated that it could take at least six months after an IRA statement before unionists will see whether the organisation will do what it says.

Mr Paisley emerged saying that Mr Ahern had heard 'the majority voice of the people of Northern Ireland'. He characterised his relationship with the Irish Government as 'brutally frank and absolutely straight'.

Referring to the much-anticipated reply from the IRA to Gerry Adams's call for the movement to abandon violence and criminality, Mr Paisley said his party were not waiting with their tongues out for an IRA statement.

He refused to say how long unionists would need to wait to test the IRA's bona fides but he pointed out that the International Monitoring Commission had mentioned a figure of at least six months.

Bertie Ahern has already held a series of meetings with the Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, following Mr Adams' call to the Republican movement to commit itself to exclusively peaceful means.

Speaking in the Seanad this morning, Fianna Fáil Senator Martin Mansergh said that he is hopeful of 'some important developments' in the North by the end of this Oireachtas session at the end of the month.