The IRA must show a commitment over a period of time to deliver a permanent end to paramilitary and criminal activity to convince others in the peace process, the Northern Ireland Secretary said today.
Peter Hain speaking in Belfast today. Photo: Paul Faith/PA
Peter Hain told trade unionists in Belfast he was optimistic that devolution could be restored. But with all sides waiting for an IRA statement on its future within the next few weeks, he reminded the Provisionals that words would not be enough to convince others.
"Intensive negotiations and discussions last autumn brought us to the brink of success just before Christmas," Mr Hain told the Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference in Belfast.
"But the trust that is essential for sustaining the political institutions evaporated. It was clear that the transition that would see a permanent end to paramilitary and criminal activity had not yet been made.
"For that trust to be restored there must be a clear, definitive and permanent end to paramilitary activity and its associated criminality," said.
"Words are not enough, but they are an important start and I hope people would not underestimate the significance of a credible statement from the IRA following their consultation exercise.
"A commitment in words needs to be capable of being verified over a period of time so that everyone can see that the commitment is real and lasting."
"The British and Irish governments, unionists and nationalists are awaiting a response from the IRA to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams’s appeal in April for the organisation to abandon its armed struggle and pursue its goals through peaceful and democratic means.
Unionists are adamant that if they are to contemplate sharing power with Sinn Féin again at Stormont, the IRA must give up all paramilitary and criminal activity.
That means destroying all weapons and ending the recruitment and training of new members, intelligence-gathering and targeting individuals, the importation of arms and all violence such as beatings, shootings and the exiling of people.
In the wake of last December’s £26.5 million Northern Bank heist and the murder of Belfast father of two Robert McCartney in January, unionists also want an end to all involvement in robberies, money laundering, the smuggling and sale of black market tobacco, alcohol and petrol, and the manufacture and sale of counterfeit goods such as pirate DVDs, video games and music CDs.
Northern Ireland’s largest party, the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists, in particular, remain sceptical about the Provisionals’ sincerity.
They have urged the British government to press ahead with a form of devolution or a more accountable system of direct rule which freezes Sinn Féin Assembly members out of ministerial office at Stormont.
However, it is believed that if the party is to consider going into government with republicans, they will want a demonstration by the IRA over a period of around six months or more that they are genuinely committed to peaceful and democratic means.