Murphy to meet parties over 'peace dividend'

Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy will today meet Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin over proposals that the government…

Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy will today meet Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin over proposals that the government will invest extra revenue into Northern Ireland to bolster any peace process deal.

Speculation has been mounting that the British government is considering asking Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown to approve a £1 billion sterling package to help Stormont ministers tackle infrastructural problems in the province if power sharing is resumed.

We have consistently in Sinn Féin raised the need for a peace dividend that would enable us all to tackle inequality
Sinn Féin chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness

Sinn Féin chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin and Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Ms Michelle Gildernew are to meet Mr Murphy in London about the proposal.

As they prepared for the discussion, Sinn Féin chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness said he believed a peace dividend was a good idea.

READ MORE

"We have consistently in Sinn Féin raised the need for a peace dividend that would enable us all to tackle inequality," the mid Ulster MP said.

"We would have some considerable hope that that could be achieved if a deal is struck in the overall negotiations. "How much would that be? It is too early to say."

Republicans have argued that money saved from the scaling down of police and Army fortifications in Northern Ireland should be ploughed back into the budget of the Northern Ireland Executive to help ministers during devolution to tackle disadvantage.

There have been concerns that without a peace dividend, Stormont ministers could be forced to rely upon raising household rates bills and water charges to support expenditure.

Sinn Féin Assembly members are to meet again at Stormont to consider proposals put by the British and Irish governments last week to their party and the DUP to resurrect power sharing and complete IRA disarmament.

The DUP leader, the Reverend Ian Paisley, will meet the Taoiseach in London and Prime Minister Tony Blair tomorrow separately to discuss the proposals.