‘Ultimately, it does not depend on words alone’

THE IRA’s commitments would have to be tested before political institutions in the North were restored, the Government said last night.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said the international decommissioning body (IICD) and the independent monitoring commission (IMC) are vital to ensure that the IRA has destroyed its arms and ceased all activities.

"Ultimately, it does not depend on words alone," Dermot Ahern briefed journalists yesterday. "The statement will be validated and verified by the IMC and IICD."