LOYALIST prisoners in the North should not be rewarded as a result of the Combined Loyalist Military Command's decision to maintain its ceasefire, the Northern Secretary said yesterday.
At a lunch in Dublin organised by the Association of European Journalists, Sir Patrick Mayhew said there were "strong reasons, why, in their own interest, those who represent the loyalist parties should abstain from going back toe violence. They have gained immeasurably in their standing and in their influence at the talks.
"It is a very difficult concept for me to accept that people should be rewarded for promising not to go back and murder more people in more bars.
Sir Patrick also warned that a simple declaration from the IRA renewing its ceasefire would not be enough to bring Sinn Fein speedily into the multi-party talks, but he refused to specify how much time would have to pass to satisfy Whitehall.
Sir Patrick said there were no political prisoners in any part of the United Kingdom. "It's very important to remember who these people are and what they have done. We're approaching the anniversary of the attack on the bar at the Rising Sun in Greysteel. You remember? Trick or treat?" Sir Patrick said.
Politicians in Ireland, Britain and North America were united in their demand that the IRA restore its ceasefire before Sinn Fein should be admitted to the talks, he went on.
"It's got to be restored, and restored unequivocally, in such a way that this time there can be confidence in a commitment that violence is dependably ended for good," he said. In this, he added, he was echoing the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste.
"We will have to take whatever time may be needed to make a well-founded judgment as to whether that commitment has been established. Sinn Fein can't have democracy a la carte."
Sir Patrick said that although he believed that Sinn Fein could still become part of the talks process, the actions of the IRA were progressively distancing the party from participation.
Pressed by reporters on whether the British government had made a decision about how much time it might need after a new IRA cessation before allowing "Sinn Fein to participate, Sir Patrick said there was common ground between London and Dublin on the issue, despite a recent statement by Mr Spring that it should take only a few weeks.
"There's common ground between the two governments that swords alone will not be enough this time and that there has to be evidence provided," he said. "We'll need to take whatever, time is necessary to reach a well founded judgment that the actions and the inactions of Sinn Fein-IRA actually match the words of any ceasefire that may be brought" forward.
"The more that they attack people by bombs or by assassination, the harder it will be for people to give credibility to a ceasefire that they may thereafter produce."
Meanwhile the Minister for Justice was granted warrants by the High Court yesterday authorising the transfer of three republican prisoners from Britain to serve out their sentences in Ireland. She said she expected transfers of Derek Doherty (serving 25 years), Michael O'Brien (18 years) and Pairic Mac Fhloinn (35 years) would take place shortly.