The North's Deputy First Minister, Mr Mark Durkan, discussed his objections to proposals for a ceasefire monitor in a meeting with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern in Dublin yesterday.
Mr Durkan afterwards expressed concern at the "unilateral" announcement made about the issue on Thursday night by the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Reid after a meeting with the UUP in Downing Street. He was "wary about some of the possibilities and implications" of the proposal.
"That's not the way that matters which have implications for the process as a whole should be dealt with," Mr Durkan told The Irish Times yesterday. The all-party implementation group was the proper context for bringing forward such developments and decisions.
"The SDLP is on record as being wary of a proposal for a ceasefire monitor in circumstances where the most significant violence is coming from groups who aren't even on ceasefire.
"We do recognise however, that the governments do need to be able to refute the allegation that they are playing down paramilitary violence or turning a blind eye to it and that is why the SDLP had proposed that the two governments produce at regular intervals an index of paramilitary violence which could record and track the totality of paramilitary activity. This would bring forward the transparency and clarity that is claimed for the monitor proposals without the risk of creating a new windmill for anti-Agreement elements to tilt at," Mr Durkan said. He said the Taoiseach was "conscious that we need to see the detail of what is involved and what is proposed".