Statement by Ian Pearson on the Publication of the Second Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), (20 July 2004)

Statement by Ian Pearson, then Security Minister, on the Publication of the Second Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), (20 July 2004)

"This is a thorough report that shows that there has been a significant reduction of the security profile since December 1999.

The report notes that:

We gave a commitment in the Belfast Agreement to '... as early a return as possible to normal security arrangements in Northern Ireland consistent with the level of threat'.

Almost two years ago the Prime Minister talked about the need for 'Acts of Completion' and an end to all paramilitary activity.

In April 2003, the Joint Declaration spelled out clearly and precisely how we could implement normalisation over a defined time-frame in an 'enabling environment' in which there was a definitive transition to exclusively peaceful and democratic means .

We are not there yet.

As the IMC Report makes clear, all normalisation arrangements must be contingent upon and must be measured against the prevailing security threat. The level of community support that the police enjoy is also a vital factor.

For our part, the day when we can have normal security arrangements in Northern Ireland cannot come soon enough.

See also:
Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC). (2004) Second Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission, (HC 913), (20 July 2004), [PDF, 187KB]. London: The Stationery Office (TSO).