Loyalists giving IRA excuse - Reid

John Reid responded to questions in the Commons

Loyalist paramilitary activity is providing the republican men of violence with an excuse to carry on, Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid has said.

Dr Reid made the comments during Northern Ireland Questions in the Commons on Wednesday in a response to a question from his predecessor Peter Mandelson.

He said if any groups were suspected of "preparing and maintaining a capability to break the ceasefire", it would undermine the trust of the other parties.

"Unless everyone is seen to be committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means in deeds as well as in words, and unless we recognise that, the question of activity goes well beyond a ceasefire."

Peter Mandelson called for a shift in attitude

On loyalist paramilitary activity, he said it was "not only murderous in its intent, but becomes an excuse, a reason and an obstacle for the republicans to reduce their level of activity".

Speaking beforehand, Peter Mandelson said the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement had been held back for years over the issue of IRA arms decommissioning.

"But this is really a proxy gesture for what is really needed and that is a full-hearted commitment by the republican movement to ending the war completely and saying so," said the MP for Hartlepool.

"What is really needed now is a genuinely substantial shift in the attitude of the rest of the republican movement to the future of the IRA."

'Logical conclusion'

He acknowledged that such a move would not be easy for republicans but said "demonising Sinn Fein will not in any sense help the republican movement in that direction".

The logical conclusion was the end of the IRA and all other paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland, added Mr Mandelson.

Last week, Prime Minister Tony Blair called on the IRA to leave violence behind for good in order to restore confidence in the peace process.

It followed the suspension of devolution and the political institutions over allegations of IRA intelligence gathering in the Northern Ireland Office.

Speaking in Belfast on Wednesday, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams again called on the prime minister to produce a plan for the full implementation of the Agreement.

The government is to consult Northern Ireland's political parties within the next two weeks about the review of the peace process