Governments need to be moving ahead

Sinn Féin MP for Newry/Armagh, Conor Murphy, was in Westminster on Wednesday for a number of party engagements. He welcomed meetings between the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the DUP leadership and between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

He added that Sinn Féin is determined to see the outstanding issues resolved and the Good Friday Agreement implemented in full. "This clearly presents challenges for all of us," he said. "But there can be no realistic alternative to building upon the progress we have already achieved.

"There must be a realisation, however, that any progress made will be bedded firmly in the core principles and fundamentals of the Good Friday Agreement.

"However, the governments need to be moving ahead. The process cannot be allowed to stand still any longer. They need to make this absolutely clear to the DUP in particular. A failure to engage by the DUP cannot allow the process of change to become stalled.

"There is absolutely no reason why many outstanding aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, including the all-Ireland aspects, which have to do with people's rights, should be made conditional on what the IRA does or upon the attitude of the DUP or other unionists. These are, after all, modest entitlements and the two governments have an obligation to deliver upon them."