The Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble, has welcomed a pledge he received from the British government that it has no plans to disband Royal Irish Regiment battalions as part of a scheme to cut troop levels in the North.
He said he was satisfied after a crunch meeting with British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon that there were no plans to disband the 3,000-strong home service members of the regiment as part of the Government's blueprint for restoring devolution to the province.
Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson has forced a head-on confrontation with his party leader over the issue by calling a meeting of the 860-strong ruling council in a bid to formally reject the joint declaration issued by the Irish and British governments.
That blueprint for restoring devolved government in the North includes plans to cut British army levels to 5,000 as part of a major de-militarisation programme.
Although it is dependent on the IRA declaring its war is over for good, Mr Donaldson has claimed it must be dismissed by his party because of the threat it poses to the Royal Irish.
But Mr Trimble said today, following his meeting with Mr Hoon and British army chief, General Sir Mike Jackson: "There are no plans to disband the home service units and the existence of the home service units will not be affected in any way by the Government's Joint Declaration."
There had been suggestions in a leaked draft military document that the units could go in two to three years. But Mr Trimble said that was not the case and had been "repudiated by General Jackson".
But Jeffrey Donaldson said the British assurance did not go far enough and state the regiment would not be slashed in size in the event of a total end of paramilitary violence.
PA