Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Oct 2000

Vol. 524 No. 2

Written Answers. - Northern Ireland Issues.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

166 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has recently met with the South Armagh Residents and Farmers Association; and if he is concerned that overt military activity in the area is inadvertently assisting the efforts of dissident paramilitary groups to recruit new members. [20332/00]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen):

Although I have not met the south Armagh farmers and residents group, officials of my Department maintain close contact with it and continue to meet it from time to time.

In addition, the Government has had detailed discussions with elected representatives from the area about the lack of progress towards normalisation in south Armagh. At these meetings, elected and community representatives have put the case that the absence of tangible progress towards normalisation runs the risk of both undermining support for the peace process and increasing support for the dissident position. The Government is very aware of their concerns and of the importance of normalisation generally to the local community in south Armagh and we pursue these matters with the British Government on an ongoing basis.

Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, the British Government undertook to make progress towards the objective of as early a return as possible to normal security arrange ments, consistent with the level of threat. Some progress has been made since April 1998 on the reduction of security measures, including the withdrawal of a number of battalions of the British Army and the ending of military patrols in areas of Northern Ireland. However, the rate of progress has fallen short of Nationalist expectations, especially in south Armagh.

Following agreement at Hillsborough last May, a number of specific normalisation measures were announced by the RUC Chief Constable, including the demolition of Cloghogue observation base and the demolition of the observation sangar overlooking the square in Crossmaglen, both of which are in south Armagh. The latter was removed at the end of July and work on the former is nearing completion. More recently, on 29 September, the Chief Constable announced a further series of measures, including the return of land requisitioned by the army in Newtownhamilton.

While the two announcements on normalisation made so far this year have been welcome, I look forward to further progress, particularly in south Armagh, at the earliest possible opportunity.