McDowell endorses IRA’s adherence to peace

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday gave the Provisional IRA’s ceasefire his strongest endorsement to date, saying that the organisation was “adhering 100%” to the commitments it had made.

He was speaking after an intergovernmental conference in Hillsborough where the British and Irish Governments repeated their view that the IRA leadership was committed to exclusively peaceful means.

The Justice Minister has issued frequent denunciations of the Provisional movement in the past, especially relating to the issue of criminality.