FOR the first time, the two houses of the United States Congress have adopted the MacBride Principles on fair employment in Northern Ireland.
In a conference meeting between the House of Representatives and the Senate on Thursday evening, it was agreed to attach the principles to the US contribution of $19.6 million to the International Fund for Ireland.
The conference also agreed that the US contribution should continue at this level for 1996 and 1997.
However, the legislation in which the endorsement of the principles is included, the American Overseas Interest Act, is likely to be "dead on arrival" when it goes for President Clinton's signature.
This is because the foreign policy bill contains provisions unpalatable to the White House, according to congressional sources.
These include sections dealing with population planning, China policy and funding levels for US diplomatic missions abroad.
Father Sean McManus, president of the Irish National Caucus, a lobby in Washington which has promoted the MacBride Principles for the last 12 years, hailed the Congress decision as the triumphal culmination of a on struggle.
"I always knew that sooner or later we would get the US Congress to pass the MacBride Principles," he said. "When our best ally, Congressman Ben Gilman, became chairman of the House International Relations Committee, I knew he would certainly prevail. His record on Ireland is extraordinary and magnificent."
Among the senators who backed the inclusion of the MacBride Principles were Republicans Bob Dole, Jesse Helms, Al D'Amato, Hank Brown and Olympia Snowe, and Democratic Senator Chris Dodd, Father McManus said.
The House had already passed the measure but the Senate had not given its approval before the conference the means for reconciling different versions of legislation passed by the two houses. The final version does not make compliance with the principles mandatory in disbursing US funds in Northern Ireland but says they "should" be applied.
Mr Gilman said during the conference meeting "I am pleased that for the first time since 1984 when the MacBride campaign first began, that we in Congress have added our voices and moral authority to this important effort to end anti Catholic discrimination in Northern Ireland."
Catherine Cleary writes The IFI gave the House and Senate decision a cautious welcome. IFI joint director general Mr Chris Todd welcomed the approval of the US contribution.
Implementation of the MacBride principles will be considered by the IFI when it is informed on procedures by US officials. "Clearly the fund will want to look closely at any conditions donor countries may attach to their contributions," Mr Todd said. But he argued that the IFI already operated a principle of equality of opportunity.
"Each of the fund's letters of offer of assistance presently includes a clause to this effect taken from the US Anglo Irish Support Act 1986." The fund required recipients in Northern Ireland to "adhere rigorously to fair employment legislation requirements".
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs also said that equal opportunity practices were a basic criteria of IFI funding decisions.
The IFI has assisted more than 3,200 projects since it was set up in December 1986. Most projects are community based ventures. Last year around 300 projects received assistance.