East Derry MP Gregory Campbell has hit out at the comments by the Republic of Ireland’s Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore who has suggested the Irish and British Governments may intervene in the Haass negotiations.
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore
Speaking on the BBC’s “Sunday Politics” programme, Mr Gilmore said, if necessary, there would be joint intervention by both governments to get the parties to agree a way forward on the Haass proposals.
The Haass talks focussed on the issues of flags, parades and the past.
However, Mr Campbell said such interfence could prove to be “completely counter-productive.”
The DUP MP said: “Mr. Gilmore should be well aware of the long standing position that we in the DUP have adhered to, which is that we would hold mutually advantageous discussions between our two Countries where it was in both our interests to do so. It took a long time for that principle to be established and accepted by both the Dublin government and republicans/nationalists in Northern Ireland.
“Having refused to move from that position when discussions were intense about the future, we are not going to move from that position now in talks about the past.
“For him not only to seek to move from that accepted norm but to pour oil on the fire of the problems contained in the current discussions by seeking to intervene where it is not warranted is unacceptable.
“Mr. Gilmore’s Government can assist, as we have said to them on a number of occasions particularly regarding the past where their input 1s relevant.
Mr Campbell concluded: “It was the Republic that helped finance the origins of the Provisional IRA, Ministers from that government in acted as midwives at the birth of the IRA, they then offered sanctuary and shelter for years to those same terrorists, on many occasions refusing to extradite them to face trial.”
Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt has described Mr Gilmore’s comments as “not particularly helpful.”
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