Alliance comments on IMC report

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 24th May 2005

Alliance Party Leader, David Ford, has commented that the IMC Report confirms that there has been no real change in the behaviour of either Republicans or Loyalists, and has indicated the need for a clear understanding of what is meant by an end to all paramilitary and criminal activity.

David Ford stated: "The latest IMC Report makes for depressing reading. There has been no real changes in behaviour by either Republicans or Loyalists since the last report.

"While Republicans and Loyalists may not be engaged in large-scale terrotist acts, they continue to engage in a wide range of paramilitary and criminal activity. All such actions, when associated with a political party, are corrosive of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The Report does clearly point to formal IRA activity in the cover-up of the murder of Robert McCartney. Obstruction of justice is as a crime as is murder.

"At this time, when there is speculation of a forthcoming IRA statement, the IMC Report points to the need for absolute clairty regarding the end of all paramilitary and criminal activity. The IMC have set out some benchmarks as to how this can be assessed. There is now an urgent need for a real debate and the emergence of shared understanding of what exactly is being demanded of the IRA if are we see real progress taking place over the next few months."

ENDS