Security proposals fail to satisfy republicans

British and Irish proposals to scale down security in south Armagh as part of plans to save the Northern Ireland peace process have failed to satisfy republicans, it was said today.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and his ruling executive are meeting at Castlebellingham, County Louth to consider the take-it-or-leave-it package.

But the republican leadership is expected to withhold any decision for at least 48 hours, until it has examined revised implementation plans for policing and justice in the Province.

A delegation is to meet Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid at Hillsborough Castle, County Down, tomorrow.

But many of the delegates who gathered today were clearly unhappy with what is on offer.

As London and Dublin waited for a crucial IRA statement on any possible new moves on disarmament, a Sinn Fein member at the Stormont Assembly said the demilitarisation proposals did not go far enough.

South Armagh’s Conor Murphy said: ‘‘At first glance, I am not impressed by what I see on demilitarisation.

‘‘The British Government three years ago promised us a schedule for demilitarisation and they have yet to produce it.

‘‘I don’t see it in this document. I don’t think it will impress the people of South Armagh.’’

As Sinn Fein met, Dr Reid began a series of meetings with pro-Agreement parties to discuss future policing arrangements in Northern Ireland.

An Ulster Unionist delegation headed by Sir Reg Empey was first to go into Hillsborough Castle, where it was given new details on the plans for the introduction of policing reforms.

The nationalist SDLP was having talks later, and Dr Reid was to meet Sinn Fein tomorrow.