Sanctions 'consistent with agreement'

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern tonight insisted that plans for imposing sanctions on Northern Ireland parties that contravene the Good Friday agreement were both consistent with and supportive of the 1998 accord.

Commenting in the face of Sinn Fein criticism of the Dublin government’s backing for the sanctions scheme, Mr Ahern said there would be no need to resort to non-compliance regulations if there was a permanent end to paramilitary activity.