15 May 1998

Northern Ireland Round Up, 30 April 1998

In the past two weeks the campaigns for and against the Belfast Agreement have intensified. Another major development has been the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of an “economic strategy” for Northern Ireland worth $510 million.

The Run-up to the 22 May Referendums

The Prime Minister was in Northern Ireland on 6 May in an unprecedented double-act with his predecessor John Major to try to convince people of the merits of the Belfast Agreement. On 10 May there was an important development when Sinn Fein decided, at a second Ard Fheis, to support the Agreement. As Mo Mowlam said in welcoming this news, it means that all the parties which were represented at the multi-party talks now support the outcome of those talks.

Sinn Fein’s decision was made possible, in part, by a change in the IRA’s constitution allowing Sinn Fein to take up seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly. (This development casts an interesting light on claims - still heard from time to time - that Sinn Fein and the IRA are unrelated).

The Sinn Fein decision was marred by the context in which it was reached:

The "Balcombe Street 4" (who had committed as many as 15 murders - including no-warning bombings of civilians - in mainland Britain in the early 1970s, and had been transferred to Dublin only a few days before, on 5 May) were granted temporary parole to attend the meeting, where they were feted as heroes. This was bitterly resented by many Unionists. A similarly distasteful piece of sectarian triumphalism occurred on the loyalist side on 14 May, when Michael Stone (who committed several murders at an IRA funeral in 1988) appeared at a UDP rally while on temporary release.

Speaker after speaker at the Ard Fheis emphasised that Sinn Fein’s acceptance of the Belfast Agreement was no more than a tactical "extension of the armed struggle". The IRA would retain its arms and (as Gerry Kelly put it) the decision to participate in a Northern Ireland Assembly was taken in the knowledge that "in six months we can revisit it".

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has repeatedly called on the IRA to send a clear signal that "with a settlement in place they are going to wind up their activities" (just as Sam McCrory, a jailed UDF/UDA leader, has declared from prison that “the war is over”, and apologised to all victims of violence). In a speech at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Show in Belfast on 14 May Tony Blair went further, saying that there could be "no fudge between democracy and terror":

"In clarifying whether the terms and spirit of the Agreement are being met and whether violence has genuinely been given up for good, there are a range of factors to take into account:

first and foremost, a clear and unequivocal commitment that there is an end to violence for good on the part of republicans and loyalists alike, and that the so-called war is finished, done with, gone; that, as the Agreement says, non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means are the only means to be used;

that, again as the Agreement expressly states, the cease-fires are indeed complete and unequivocal; an end to bombings, killings and beatings, claimed or unclaimed; an end to targeting and procurement of weapons; progressive abandonment and dismantling of paramilitary structures actively directing and promoting violence;

full co-operation with the Independent Commission on decommissioning, to implement the provisions of the Agreement;

and no other organisations being deliberately used as proxies for violence.

These factors provide evidence upon which to base an overall judgement - a judgement which will necessarily become more rigorous over time. What is more I have decided that they must be given legislative expression directly and plainly in the legislation to come before Parliament in the coming weeks and months.

We are not setting new preconditions or barriers. On the contrary we want as many people as possible to use the Agreement as their bridge across to an exclusively democratic path. We will encourage them to take this path. But it is surely reasonable that there should be confidence-building measures from these organisations after all the suffering they have inflicted on the people of Northern Ireland. And we also have a responsibility to provide protection against abuse of the democratic process, and its benefits, by those not genuinely committed to it."

[The full text of the Prime Minister’s speech is on the Britain in the USA Website.]

Economic Help for Northern Ireland

On 12 May the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, paid a visit to Belfast where he announced a major economic strategy for Northern Ireland, worth $510 million. The package includes:

A $247 million Investment Fund (including $34 million for an Innovation and Tourism Fund). The Investment Fund will concentrate on capital investment in roads, education, housing and other infrastructure projects.

A $105 million Employment and Skills Fund which will seek to provide up to 30,000 additional New Deal opportunities for Northern Ireland’s long-term unemployed.

A $163 million Enterprise Fund which will fund a new provision that every penny invested in plant and machinery in Northern Ireland in the coming four years will be wholly tax deductible.

The Chancellor also announced a 10-city tour of the US and Canada which he will undertake with Mo Mowlam in the fall to promote inward investment into Northern Ireland.

Speaking to leading business, community and political representatives, the Chancellor said:

"The package that I have announced today amounts to a $510 million investment in the renewal and modernisation of Northern Ireland. The challenge we face is to build on economic and political stability, to promote enterprise and inward investment, to get people back to work and equip them with the right skills, and to build the infrastructure for a modern economy. Having created a framework for peace we can now create a framework for prosperity. For years we have been attempting to protect the Northern Ireland economy. From today, we can begin to build it."

[The full text of the Chancellor’s speech is on the Britain in the USA website at www.britain-info.org]

US Help for Northern Ireland

On 7 May President Clinton, too, announced a "series of actions to bolster the foundations of peace" in Northern Ireland. In particular:

(a) "I am committed to seeing that the new West Belfast Springvale Campus project is completed. I intend to work with Congress to make available up to $5 million to make this happen." In addition to these funds (to be deployed from the International Fund for Ireland) the President said that he was asking USIA to support the Springvale Campus with its full range of educational programmes, and to foster links between Springvale and one or more American Universities.

(b) The US was committed to helping the communities in Northern Ireland build the new institutions created by the Belfast Agreement: "My administration will work with Congress to make available $500,000 as soon as possible to fund programmes to support this effort".

(c) The President announced that Secretary Daley would visit Northern Ireland in early June with a high level US business delegation to intensify what is already a substantial economic relationship.

(d) USIA is supporting the collaboration of the Philadelphia Jobs Initiative with Worktrain, a Northern Ireland "welfare to work" initiative.

(e) The President also said that he had asked the First Lady to travel to Belfast in the early fall to take part in a "Vital Voices conference" to showcase and support women’s role in the economic and political life of their society.

Continuing Violence

One worrying development over the past two weeks has been the announcement of a new group entitled "True IRA" (or sometimes "Real IRA") representing members of the IRA who do not accept the IRA’s current strategy of - conditional - support for the Belfast Agreement. It remains to be seen whether this new group represents a significant threat or only a small number of disaffected extremists.

Terrorist incidents over the period since my last letter have included:

A massive car bomb (with 700lbs of explosive) which was defused in the market square of Lisburn, Co Antrim, on 30 April. This seems to have been the work of a Republican group.

An attempted armed robbery in County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland on 1 May. This was foiled by the Gardai who captured five of those involved, and killed another after a brief exchange of fire. This group appeared in court on 4 May, where they were accused of being “dissident IRA” members.

A failed mortar attack on an RUC station in Belfast on 3 May.

Victims of Violence

On 13 May Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, who had been asked to report on what might be done to help victims of violence in Northern Ireland, published his report entitled “We Will Remember Them”. This examines the feasibility of providing greater recognition for victims of violence in Northern Ireland over the past 30 years. The report (whose recommendations can be read on the Britain in the USA website at www.britain-info.org) was the result of an intensive period of consultation by Sir Kenneth Bloomfield with victims and their families, with organisations which have a particular interest in the welfare of the bereaved and disabled, and with many others, including community groups, the churches and political parties.

Anthony Cary

Counsellor, Political & Public Affairs

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