BRITAIN TO GET TOUGH ON TERROR
Britain to get tough on terror
by Liam O'Neill Political Editor
THE British Government is preparing to beef up anti-terrorist laws for Northern Ireland following the introduction of Dublin's draconian package on Wednesday.
This was the message conveyed to Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, by Prime Minister, Tony Blair, when they spoke by telephone yesterday.
It follows a call in Dublin on Wednesday night by the North's First Minister, David Trimble, for Britain to bring in measures similar to those planned for the South to do battle with the Republican terrorists whose horrific bomb in Omagh last weekend was designed to wreck the Good Friday Agreement.
The new British laws will be very tough and it is also likely that Mr Blair and his colleagues will give serious consideration to Trimble's other request that the reserve power of internment be restored to the Statute Book from which it was removed early this year. The Taoiseach also had a lengthy telephone conversation with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams yesterday and held separate meeting at Government Buildings with key Northern clergymen and community leaders.
It is understood that the Taoiseach availed of these contacts to encourage the people concerned, the clergy in particular, some of whom had been involved in securing the IRA and Loyalist ceasefires, to use their influence to persuade the dissident Republican groups such as the Real IRA and the INLA to call a total halt to violence.
Much of the discussion with Mr Blair centred on politics and the Good Friday Agreement, according to informed sources. The first meeting of the new Northern Assembly and other matters related to the Agreement also loomed large in the conversation between the Taoiseach and the Sinn Fein leader.
The question of the tough security measures announced by the Government on Wednesday did not come up during the conversation, according to a Government spokesman.
Meanwhile, it emerged last night that the Government is aiming to recall the Dail in the first week in September to debate and give its approval to the legislation to amend the Offences Against the State Acts.
A spokesman said that the Government Chief Whip, Seamus Brennan, would be having discussions with the Opposition Whips in the next few days about summoning the Dail on Wednesday, September 2, for a 12-hour session. The Senate would be recalled to meet the next day.
It is hoped to have the amending legislation ready by the end of next week.
A human rights section has been established in the Department of Justice and is drawing up proposals to give effect to the commitment by the Government in the Good Friday Agreement to establish a Human Rights Commission for the Republic, an official spokesman said last night.
He was responding to a call from Democratic Left's Pat Rabbitte to expedite the establishment of the Commission.
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
by Liam O'Neill Political Editor
THE British Government is preparing to beef up anti-terrorist laws for Northern Ireland following the introduction of Dublin's draconian package on Wednesday.
This was the message conveyed to Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, by Prime Minister, Tony Blair, when they spoke by telephone yesterday.
It follows a call in Dublin on Wednesday night by the North's First Minister, David Trimble, for Britain to bring in measures similar to those planned for the South to do battle with the Republican terrorists whose horrific bomb in Omagh last weekend was designed to wreck the Good Friday Agreement.
The new British laws will be very tough and it is also likely that Mr Blair and his colleagues will give serious consideration to Trimble's other request that the reserve power of internment be restored to the Statute Book from which it was removed early this year. The Taoiseach also had a lengthy telephone conversation with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams yesterday and held separate meeting at Government Buildings with key Northern clergymen and community leaders.
It is understood that the Taoiseach availed of these contacts to encourage the people concerned, the clergy in particular, some of whom had been involved in securing the IRA and Loyalist ceasefires, to use their influence to persuade the dissident Republican groups such as the Real IRA and the INLA to call a total halt to violence.
Much of the discussion with Mr Blair centred on politics and the Good Friday Agreement, according to informed sources. The first meeting of the new Northern Assembly and other matters related to the Agreement also loomed large in the conversation between the Taoiseach and the Sinn Fein leader.
The question of the tough security measures announced by the Government on Wednesday did not come up during the conversation, according to a Government spokesman.
Meanwhile, it emerged last night that the Government is aiming to recall the Dail in the first week in September to debate and give its approval to the legislation to amend the Offences Against the State Acts.
A spokesman said that the Government Chief Whip, Seamus Brennan, would be having discussions with the Opposition Whips in the next few days about summoning the Dail on Wednesday, September 2, for a 12-hour session. The Senate would be recalled to meet the next day.
It is hoped to have the amending legislation ready by the end of next week.
A human rights section has been established in the Department of Justice and is drawing up proposals to give effect to the commitment by the Government in the Good Friday Agreement to establish a Human Rights Commission for the Republic, an official spokesman said last night.
He was responding to a call from Democratic Left's Pat Rabbitte to expedite the establishment of the Commission.
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
Further Information
Publisher: THE EXAMINER
Ref: TEX/127
Published Date: 21-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.