Conference tallis::celt

1428.0. "STATE OF EMERGENCY TO END IN SOUTH" by KOALA::HOLOHAN () Thu Oct 27 1994 12:16

For Immediate Release
 October 25, 1994

               STATE OF EMERGENCY TO END IN SOUTH

  DUBLIN - The Irish government has announced its intention to lift
  the state of emergency which has been in force since 1939. The
  decision to rescind the legislation, which was renewed in 1976 and
  gives extraordinary powers to the police and army in the Republic
  to detain and interrogate suspects in addition to an array of
  other repressive measures, has been made to hasten the peace
  process.

  It comes a day after the Irish prime minister. Albert Reynolds,
  met the British prime minister, John Major, when they agreed to
  proceed with talks on a framework for political discussions to
  take place among the political parties in Northern Ireland in the
  new year.

  Promising a formal summit meeting before Christmas, Reynolds said
  that the meeting Monday had moved the process forward and that
  progress had been made in finding agreement on a balanced
  settlement to the conflict.

  The British government has been obstructing Irish demands for
  cross border institutions with executive functions and is believed
  to be insisting that the Irish government delete its
  constitutional claim over Northern Ireland.

  The British government has also announced its intention to launch
  plans for a devolved assembly in the North, thus conceding to a
  key demand of the Ulster Unionist Party on whose votes it depends
  at Westminister, in advance of all-party negotiations on the
  future of Northern Ireland.

  The officials on both sides have been given the go-ahead to
  continue negotiations which have not been going smoothly in recent
  weeks despite the cessation of violence, although Irish government
  sources were yesterday hinting that cross border institutions and
  possibly an executive body will be introduced alongside an
  assembly.

  What powers these institutions or executive will have is now the
  center of delicate discussions, the outcome of which may well
  determine whether violence in the north will end for good.

  In a further illustration of the developing peace process British
  troops were removed from the streets of Derry and Tyrone Monday
  and Garda/Army checkpoints in the Republic have also been
  disbanded in five border areas.
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