‘Paramilitarism is irrelevant’

THE potential threats which both dissident Irish republican and Ulster loyalist terrorism present to the Northern Ireland peace process were evaluated at top-level Irish and British government talks in Dublin yesterday.

The security exchanges also considered the prospects for introducing tougher anti-terror legislation, where necessary, and ways of boosting cross-border police co-operation.

Those at the talks included Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and Justice Minister Michael McDowell, as well as Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde and Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne.

The two governments pledged their continued determination to ensure all measures were taken to counter the terrorist threat from either side of the political paramilitary divide.

They declared in a joint statement after the exchanges: "This small and totally undemocratic criminal minority cannot and will not be allowed to halt progress towards the peace and stability sought by the vast majority of people, north and south."

Mr Murphy who was also having talks later with Foreign Minister Brian Cowen said the discussions were useful and reached the conclusion that "paramilitarism is now irrelevant and redundant and a thing of the past".

He added: "What we want to do is ensure that north and south of the border we catch criminals more easily, more effectively and robustly, and that there is no safe haven for any criminals anywhere on the island of Ireland."

The Secretary of State added: "We had practical discussions today so we can jointly tackle the tremendous problems we are facing from dissident republicans and others.

Mr McDowell said: "We had a lengthy and very fruitful and constructive meeting and planned out a very useful programme of work for intense co-operation between Ireland and the United Kingdom on these issues."

It has also been made clear that any further measures that were needed, north or south, to ensure a seamless security approach and to dealing with crime, "in which there no loopholes or bolt-holes for people who want to engage in paramilitarism," would emerge.

Mr McDowell said: "We have a number of very useful projects under consideration in that regard.

"It was good to have the chief constable and the commissioner give their assessment of the security situation. It was sobering, but at the same time satisfying.

"The amount of co-operation between the police forces north and south of the border is very encouraging and there are many ways in which it can be strengthened and improved and we examined a number of those in close detail," he said.