Regiment's future discussed

Paul Murphy discussed regiment with Geoff Hoon

The Northern Ireland Secretary of State has discussed the future of the Royal Irish Regiment with Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon.

Unionists have expressed dismay about reports that the Army plans to disband the three home battalions once the demilitarisation proposals in the recent British-Irish joint declaration are fully implemented.

Paul Murphy discussed the regiment's three home battalions with Mr Hoon on Tuesday evening.

Government officials will assess possible solutions, but no announcement on the regiment is expected until next week.

Last week, the Ministry of Defence played down the reports, with sources emphasising that no cuts would be made until the IRA declared its war was over and decommissioned its weaponry.

It was therefore a crucial part of the recent negotiations between Sinn Fein and the British Government which led to the joint declaration

Martin McGuinness
Sinn Fein

On Tuesday, Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness criticised what he called a government U-turn on commitments given during recent talks.

He said: "Demiltarisation was a key element of the Good Friday Agreement. Five years on the British government have not delivered on their obligations.

"It was therefore a crucial part of the recent negotiations between Sinn Fein and the British Government which led to the joint declaration."

The Royal Irish Regiment was formed in 1992, with the merger of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment.

Many of the soldiers who belong to three home battalions with bases in Armagh, Omagh and Holywood are part-time.

Any cuts would not affect the regiment's first battalion, which recently returned from the war in Iraq to its base in Kent.

Attempt

The British and Irish Governments' joint declaration was given to the parties in March in an attempt to move the political process forward in Northern Ireland.

It outlined plans to reduce the number of troops in Northern Ireland to 5,000, on condition of paramilitary acts of completion to decommission weapons.

The document included five annexes dealing with security normalisation, policing and justice, human rights and equality, on-the-run paramilitaries and mechanisms to verify and monitor any deal.

Last month, two Army watchtowers were taken down near the border in south Armagh as part of the joint declaration.

Northern Ireland's devolved administration was suspended last October amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering in the Stormont government.

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The joint declaration between British and Irish Governments
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