Apology comes at crucial moment

The unprecedented IRA apology came at a crucial time for the Northern Ireland peace process.

Whether it will be enough to fend off a fresh crisis in the process remains to be seen.

Early indications from unionists tonight were that it will not be.

The Republican movement is under growing pressure with Ulster Unionists calling for Sinn Fein ministers to be thrown out of the power sharing government at Stormont because of continuing IRA activity.

David Trimble last month gave Prime Minister Tony Blair until July 24 the day Parliament rises for the summer recess to state what sanctions he is prepared to take.

Hardliners within the Unionist Party say that if Mr Trimble is not satisfied he is ready to quit as Northern Ireland First Minister again and walk away from devolution.

But whatever Mr Blair says, Mr Trimble is not expected to make a snap decision, but to mull over how he will proceed throughout August.

IRA involvement with Colombian rebels, the break-in at Special Branch offices in east Belfast in March and allegations the IRA have been masterminding much of the republican street disorder in Belfast over recent months have added to unionist disquiet.

Assembly elections are due to be held in May next year, but unionists have warned the body could have been dissolved and direct rule re-imposed long before them unless Mr Blair acts.

Nevertheless such an apology from the IRA cannot be dismissed out of hand. It has never been made before, there have been expressions of regret, but they have never said sorry once.

There are suspicions that the statement is the start of a choreographed series of events aimed at rebuilding unionist confidence in the peace process but that has been denied on all sides.

Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid insisted the government had no prior knowledge the statement was about to be made. In the past they have been tipped-off about key IRA statements during the slow and tortuous process of trying return Northern Ireland to a level of normality.

The middle-of-the-road Alliance Party welcomed the IRA announcement and said they hoped it was the IRA’s way of beginning to say that the war is over.

It doesn’t go that far, but that is what unionists have been calling for most recently by Lord Kilclooney, former Ulster Unionist deputy leader John Taylor, MP, who said tonight the statement was ‘‘not sufficient’’.

He told the IRA and Sinn Fein ‘‘more is needed from you’’.