Ex-CIA director to monitor paramilitary activity

Secretary of State, Paul Murphy today announced plans by the British and Irish Government's to help restore devolution in Northern Ireland.

Among the plans laid out by Mr Murphy on Thursday was the establishment of a new Independent Monitoring Commission which will report on the IRA and loyalist ceasefires every six months.

The Monitoring body's Commissioners will include former Deputy Director of the CIA, Richard Kerr and former Alliance leader, Lord Alderdice.

The Secretary of State said: "Both we and the Irish Government have been clear that we would press ahead as far as we could with implementing our proposals for rebuilding the trust and confidence necessary for the restoration of stable and inclusive devolved government in Northern Ireland.

"The swift establishment of the Independent Monitoring Commission is a key element of this package. I believe that it will play a valuable role in helping to provide assurance that the necessary moves towards a genuinely peaceful and democratic society with stable devolved government that we want to see are real and permanent.

"The International Agreement we are publishing today makes clear what the functions of the Commission will be and how it will be expected to go about its work. We hope to formally ratify it and to pass the necessary legislation at Westminster as soon as possible."

The establishment of the Independent Monitoring Commission is part of the package of proposals published by the British and Irish Governments on 1 May aimed at rebuilding trust and confidence and the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement. The Agreement sets out in detail the role and functions of the Commission and how it will operate. It will be formally ratified by the two Governments later in the Autumn.

Completing the Commission's board will be John Grieve, formerly a senior officer in the Metropolitan Police and Joseph Brosnan, former Secretary General of the Department of Justice in Ireland.

(MB)