Press Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, TD on Loyalist Decommissioning

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin T.D., welcomes today’s (Saturday 27th June 2009) statements from the main loyalist organisations indicating significant progress has been made in regard to decommissioning.

The Minister said

“In recent years loyalist organisations have been making effective progress towards conflict transformation, and today is an important landmark in this process.

Northern Ireland has now moved closer to achieving the genuinely shared future for which many people have taken risks over the past decades.  I wish to express the Government’s appreciation to the loyalist leadership and all those who took crucial and courageous decisions to facilitate today’s step forward.

Full decommissioning will remove one of the many challenges which are faced by communities across the north, and I would encourage those organisations which have yet to complete the task to continue their constructive engagement with the IICD. 

We have always said that the peace process should leave no person or community behind.  Loyalist communities face particular economic and social disadvantage, and all those with an interest in a better Northern Ireland must work together to ensure that tackling this is a priority for the future.”

ENDS

For more details contact:

Jerry O’Connor

Media Advisor

Department of Foreign Affairs

087 6630338