The IRA needs to demonstrate its commitment to ending all paramilitary activity, the Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, tells Dan Keenan.
The Northern Ireland Secretary has told The Irish Times that discussions aimed at providing the clarity sought by the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, are continuing at both official and ministerial level.
As speculation mounts that the Assembly election may again be postponed, Mr Paul Murphy claimed the British position was endorsed by the Irish Government and by the US special envoy to Ireland, Mr Richard Haass.
"I know that Richard Haass is fully behind us on the issue of clarity which the three questions [posed by Mr Blair on Wednesday] represent," he said.
He explained that much valuable work had been completed on all outstanding issues connected with the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement since the political institutions were suspended following allegations of an IRA spy ring at Stormont last October.
"We have spent six or seven months of discussions coming to agreement on the joint declaration," he said. "The missing aspect is obviously what happens on the issue of paramilitarism.
"Although no one is doubting \ commitment to the agreement or to the process, it simply isn't enough at the moment in terms of clarity. There is some distance to go."
He explained the decision of Mr Blair to make a public appeal to the IRA. "The Prime Minister wanted to make it clear what it is we need clarity on. I suspect that every person in Northern Ireland, if you ask them the same question, will have the same answers."
He noted the claims by the Sinn Féin leader, Mr Gerry Adams, made during his speeches at Easter commemorations, that he thought the IRA statements were clear. But Mr Murphy said the British government also wanted to be sure of IRA intentions.
"There shouldn't be any ambiguity in what we're asking for. That's what lies behind that," he said.
"I hope that in the days ahead we will be able to resume discussions and see if we can get somewhere. We will be discussing and talking with Sinn Féin and indeed with the other political parties. [The discussions] are taking place at both ministerial level and official level . . . to see if we can resolve the issue."
Asked if he doubted republican commitment to the peace process, he said: "The problem is that we need more than that. Commitment to the process isn't the same as saying that they are going to end paramilitarism in the way that the question, for example, posed."
He went on: "Ultimately it's about the ending of targeting, training, intelligence-gathering, surveillance. All those things constitute paramilitary activity. And, of course, it's not one-sided. It applies to loyalists in just the same way. But we're talking about a party in government here. It's something which is very clear it seems to me.
"Having a ceasefire which has not been breached . . . doesn't necessarily mean that paramilitary activity isn't going on. That's what brought the Assembly down anyway. We've got to get trust built up between the parties, and at the moment the words are such that they do not do enough to restore the trust, to restore the institutions."
Mr Murphy denied Sinn Féin claims that the British government's focus was disproportionately on the IRA and that loyalist violence was not receiving due attention.
"The loyalists have come under considerable scrutiny over the last number of months," he said. "A good number of members of the PSNI have been assigned to deal with the loyalist \. There are at least 20 arrests in connection with that. I think it would be unfair to say that there is in any way a lop-sided attitude."
Mr Murphy also insisted that the date of May 29th for the Assembly elections was set. But, asked if Mr Blair's desire to have a poll in a positive environment meant further postponement was possible if there was no progress, Mr Murphy said: "We will have to face that if it comes. Our main aim is to try to ensure that we get an Assembly, an Executive and a process which is worth voting for.
"Everybody knows that it would be much better for that to happen than to go into an election with an Assembly suspended and with a complete lack of understanding and clarity of what lies at the end of it. That's why we are concentrating heavily now on that side of things."
Responding to speculation that a review of the agreement could be brought forward in the event of the impasse enduring, he said: "It's an issue we haven'tlooked at in any detail. Again, I think we'll finish this procedure."