DUP: Disbanded IRA Army Council no devolved justice guarantee
Belfast Telegraph
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Confirmation that the IRA’s ruling Army Council has been disbanded will not necessarily pave the way for devolved policing and justice, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said tonight.
DUP Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson will need further assurances on accountability structures before the security force handover despite the Government’s call for a special report assessing whether the IRA has dismantled all its paramilitary structures.
Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward asked for a response from the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) ceasefire watchdog by early September.
Mr Donaldson said: “We will obviously take a very keen interest in what the IMC has to report.
“For policing and justice devolution to occur there has to be sufficient confidence in the unionist community and one of those elements is removing the IRA from the stage.
“This isn’t the only factor, there will be others that we need to take into account as well like the structures being put in place for the devolution of policing and justice.'’
