Adams: Unionists using IRA arms as excuse

The issue of armed groups in Northern Ireland will only be addressed in the context of all peace process pledges being implemented, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams insisted tonight.

Just 24 hours after Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson told a republican audience his community needed a timetable for conclusive weapons decommissioning, Mr Adams claimed the issue of IRA arms was being used by unionists as a reason not to engage with his party.

The West Belfast MP told PA News: “While I would not like to minimise what may be genuine fears and cocerns within unionism, I do think the issue of the IRA and its weapons is being used an excuse.

“I actually think there is too much focus at this time on the DUP and Sinn Féin. It isn’t down to the DUP and Sinn Féin even though we have considerable roles to play.

“Our main job is to get everyone to encourage unionism to move forward and that is a responsibility which rests particularly with the British and Irish governments.

“We are going to go into the talks next month to make them work but we cannot do that on our own. It is a matter of will.

“Will the British government keep to its commitment on an inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, as his family has demanded?

“Will we see something constructive on the hundreds of other victims of collusion (between British security forces and loyalist paramilitaries)?

“Will the DUP do the right thing about working the institutions, acknowledging other people’s mandates and rights?

“Will the British also honour commitments on policing, human rights, equality, demilitarisation, on-the-runs? All those issues have to be tackled as well as armed groups.”

Sinn Féin and DUP negotiators are preparing for an intensive round of negotiations next month to revive power sharing.

The talks will involve the British and Irish governments and other Northern Ireland parties.

Foreign minister Brian Cowen and Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy will initially chair the discussions.

They will culminate in a three-day process at Leeds Castle in Maidstone, Kent, in mid-September.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern have warned that if a deal is not struck they may have to alter their approach to the political process.

However Northern Ireland’s two largest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, have a large gap to bridge.

The province’s biggest party, the Reverend Ian Paisley’s DUP, is adamant that if it is to contemplate sharing power with Sinn Féin there must be an end to paramilitarism.

During a panel discussion in the heart of Mr Adams’s constituency last night, Jeffrey Donaldson also urged republicans to get rid of their stockpiles of weapons.

The Lagan Valley MP told a West Belfast Festival debate audience that it was dangerous for Provisional IRA weapons to remain in dumps where they could be accessed by dissident republicans.

He also told them: “Whether people like it or not, the unionist community does not trust the IRA because of what has been visited upon them by the IRA over 30 years.

“We need to see the weaponry being dealt with in a credible verifiable way, within a defined timescale.

“I would prefer it to be dealt with as soon as possible, preferably before the end of 2004.

“I believe that if the IRA wanted to decommission all its weapons tomorrow it could do it.”

The Sinn Féin president commended Mr Donaldson on his appearance at the festival and paid tribute to his colleagues on the committee which organised the event.

He also said he would like to take part in a similar event in a loyalist area.

“I think it was good that Jeffrey participated in the event and it is to the great credit of the Féile that a platform was created that enabled him to become the latest in a line of unionist and loyalist speakers,” he said.

“The audience were very restrained and welcoming. But, you know, it is very easy to go into an event like that and state the unionist mantra. I could do that with republicanism.

“I would like to think and hope that Jeffrey listened to what was said last night.

“Part of the responsibility leaders have is to bring people with them and, by organising a mass platform like that, drawing an audience of almost 1,000 people, Féile an Phobail has shown the way.

“Why doesn’t unionism do that? I know some people in unionism have but they tend to be small middle-class audiences.

“I would hope an event like ‘West Belfast Talks Back’ would actually embolden and empower unionism to do something similar rather than intimidate them.

“Ian Paisley would be welcome at a Féile an Phobail event. That or Jeffrey Donaldson’s attendance would have not been possible had people not been prepared to stick their necks out in West Belfast.

“With the outreach work my colleague Alex Maskey is doing with the unionist community, I and others in Sinn Féin would certainly respond positively if there was an invite to a similar event.”