President Mary McAleese said today that IRA decommissioning removed a major obstacle to the search for a lasting and peaceful solution in Northern Ireland.
In a statement issued this afternoon she said she hoped today's developments "will help to bring about a better climate in which trust between the two communities in Northern Ireland can flourish in the years ahead and that it will herald a speedy end to all ongoing paramilitary activity.
"We are indebted to both the Irish and British governments and the many individuals and organisations who have worked tirelessly to bring about today's developments in order to help create a much better climate for political progress in Northern Ireland," she said.