IMC's views"irrelevant" - Conor Murphy

Commenting after the latest IMC Report, this time into the pace of British demilitarisation, Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh Conor Murphy said that the IMC views on this issue were equally irrelevant to their views on any other.

"The people who will judge the pace and extent of the dismantling of the British war machine in Ireland are those people in areas like South Armagh who have had to live for years with the effects of the British occupation in their community. People who have lived with the effects of British military occupation do not need reports from John Alderdice to tell them when sufficient progress has been made", Murphy said.

"Progress is being made on the issue of demilitarisation because Sinn Féin put it onto the political agenda and because local communities mounted effective campaigns to demand an end to the British military presence in their lives. This has nothing whatever to do with the IMC", he said adding that Sinn Féin would continue to raise this issue until all occupied land is returned to its rightful owners. He rejected underhand attempts by the PSNI to reoccupy lands in Crossmaglen.