Plan to destroy RUC alleged

The peace process in Northern Ireland was dismissed as a "giant fraud" by Mr Ian Paisley Jnr at the Democratic Unionist Party…

The peace process in Northern Ireland was dismissed as a "giant fraud" by Mr Ian Paisley Jnr at the Democratic Unionist Party conference.

During the debate on policing, the North Antrim Assembly member accused the Ulster Unionist Party of creating a situation that allowed for the destruction of the RUC.

"The RUC has been diminished and emasculated by the agreement. There is no such thing as a peace process, the UUP is being quite deliberately dishonest," he said. "This peace process is a giant fraud. It has allowed the paramilitaries out of jail. It's not credible to talk about a peace process and as long as that's the case it's not credible to change the police force."

Mr Mervyn Storey of Ballymoney branch said the dismantling of the RUC was a "core requirement" of the agreement.

READ MORE

Mr Andrew McIntyre of Strabane Young Democrats warned that no police service would ever be acceptable to the republican movement.

"There will be no policing Sinn Fein/IRA. It will not be long until we see written across walls in the Bogside and West Belfast: `Disband the PSNI'," he said.

Mr Gardiner Kane, MLA for North Antrim, said compensation provided to RUC widows was a patronising gesture.

"To distinguish between RUC and other security force personnel is an insult to murdered UDR officers. What's on offer is this sorrowful, inadequate compensation fund."

Mr Paul Berry, Assembly member for Newry and Armagh, called on the DUP's Minister of Social Development, Mr Maurice Morrow, to scrutinise the funding bodies and government agencies charged with allocating money to victims of terrorist violence. He condemned "the discriminatory policies of such organisations towards perceived anti-agreement victim groups."

Mary Minihan

Mary Minihan

Mary Minihan is Features Editor of The Irish Times