McAleese expresses hopes for lasting peace

President Mary McAleese has said today's IICD statement will remove a major obstacle to the search for a lasting and peaceful solution to the problems which have beset Northern Ireland for so long.

She said: “I hope that these developments will help to bring about a better climate in which trust between the two communities in Northern Ireland can flourish in the years ahead and that it will herald a speedy end to all ongoing paramilitary activity.