The deaths and serious injuries arising from the use of plastic bullets in Northern Ireland have been a cause of widespread concern. The Government shares those concerns. It has made known its views to the British Government on numerous occasions within the framework of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. We have urged the need for stricter controls, effective guidelines and maximum restraint to curtail the use of plastic bullets to the greatest possible extent and to minimise the risk of death and serious injury.
The Government's concerns regarding plastic bullets were deepened by the manner in which they were used during the disturbances surrounding the contentious parade in Drumcree in July 1996. There was widespread concern at the contrasting numbers in which plastic bullets were used before and after the stand-off at Drumcree. Of the 6,002 plastic bullets fired during the disturbances as a whole, 662 were fired before the stand-off ended on 11 July. The vast majority, 5,340, were fired afterwards in nationalist areas. The concerns to which this disparity gave rise and other issues relating to the use of plastic bullets during the disturbances related to Drumcree were taken up by the Government at the special meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference convened at the Government's request on 18 July 1996.
The Government welcomed as a first step the announcement by the British authorities in the aftermath of these disturbances that the Inspector of Constabulary "will conduct a review of the RUC's procedure and training for handling public order situations including those relating to the use of plastic baton rounds". The Government believe that the Inspector of Constabulary, in his review published on 22 January 1997, has made a number of detailed and potentially valuable recommendations governing the use of plastic bullets.