DUP says report depressing but believes talks can solve issues

The DUP has made clear that while the report on the status of the IRA makes “depressing reading” that it believes there is a possibility of resolving the issue of paramilitarism within the current Stormont House talks.

Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in his initial response said the IRA had delivered on the transition from conflict to peace and his party was “now the only organisation involved in the republican struggle and in republican activism”.

The DUP in a statement on Tuesday afternoon - which will be carefully read by the British and Irish governments to determine whether unionists would remain engaged in the talks - said it accepted the entirety of the report’s findings.

The DUP however said it wanted the issue of paramilitarism resolved through the Stormont talks.

“This report sets the agenda for the talks as the parties determine how to deal with the disbandment and legacy of paramilitary groups,” it said.

"There can be no acceptable level of violence nor is it acceptable for any terrorist structures to be in existence. We are determined that the talks resolve these issues and to that end we will be working to agree an outcome that rids Northern Ireland of the remaining vestiges of paramilitarism and organised crime," it added.

The DUP said the report sets out “very starkly” the issues that the talks must address. “Any agreement flowing from these talks must include proposals to tackle the matters identified in the review. We have a very short time to reach agreement and while some common ground has been evident all the parties must step up the pace in the next few days. This report has brought clarity to this key issue,” it added.

The DUP statement said, “The report might clear the republican leadership in that it reaches a ‘firm conclusion that it is committed to the peace process’ and that ‘it has a wholly political focus’ but it makes depressing reading about the pace of change within the organisation and the level of control the leadership has over some of its members and their activities.”

“In truth it demonstrates the scale of the task we all face in normalising our society and making the Assembly sustainable,” it added.

“While the report indicates that IRA structures remain in existence it states it is in a much reduced form and the IRA of the Troubles era is well beyond recall. The factual assessment finds that the remaining organisation is not involved in any targeting, recruiting, arms procurement, planning or conducting terrorist activities as had been the case previously,” it continued.

“Yet the idea that any paramilitary structure still exists is unacceptable. This is true of loyalist groups as much as republican ones.”

The DUP said while not surprised it was disturbed that structures such as the IRA Army Council remained in existence “albeit that the report suggests its purpose is supportive of the peace process”.

“Indeed the conclusion that individual members of the IRA are involved in criminality and violence as well as murder underlines the fact that much more remains to be done and that the PSNI and security services must be given every support to ensure such activities are a thing of the past,” it added.

The DUP also said that while “it has no immediate implications for the running of the (Northern) Executive the report paints a bleak picture in relation to loyalist paramilitary groups”.

“In this context the willingness of the leadership of these groups to move forward as publicised last week forms an important part of their transformation. It is no more acceptable for loyalists to be involved in paramilitary and criminality than republicans and it is vital that real transformation take places,” it added.

Mr McGuinness said “our society is on a journey from conflict to peace and we all need to work to complete that journey so that violence becomes a thing of the past”.

“It is clear the IRA leadership has successfully delivered on this transition from conflict to peace. Let me be absolutely clear and unequivocal. Sinn Féin is now the only organisation involved in the republican struggle and in republican activism,” he said.

“There are of course enormous and urgent issues to be dealt with around the existence of armed groups, paramilitaries and criminality,” he added.

“We all have a responsibility to deal with these issues to tackle criminality and bring paramilitarism to an end and Sinn Féin will play a full part in this important work,” said Mr McGuinness.