"Where now pledge on Army Council ?"
22 November 2008
Extract from a speech by Traditional Unionist Voice Leader Jim Allister MEP in Kilkeel on 21 November 2008
Embargo 8pm.
“Now that the DUP and Sinn Fein have kissed and made up, its business at usual at Stormont, until Sinn Fein next needs its concession card topped up by the DUP. Make no mistake it was the DUP which gave way on policing and justice. All the machinery is being put in place to deliver it as soon as they can get away with it. Nigel Dodds says no date exists but he is the Minister in charge of “Personnel” while a recruitment circular is circulating within the Civil Service asking who would like to join the new Department. So, who does he think he’s kidding in pretending nothing has changed?
On 26 August 2008 Peter Robinson said no Sinn Fein Minister could every exercise any policing and justice powers, yet on Tuesday last he stood, side by side, with McGuinness and announced their joint nomination for Attorney General – the most senior law officer and an integral part of the devolution of policing and justice. Moreover, McGuinness will proceed to jointly nominate the Judicial Appointments Commission, which will appoint every Judge. So much for no role for any Sinn Fein minister in policing and justice.
And, of course, the moment policing and justice is devolved every cross-cutting issue from that department must go to the Executive and every policing and justice issue going to the North South Ministerial Council – to which, shamefully, policing and justice will be subject = must pass through the Executive. So the pretence that no Sinn Fein minister will have any say on policing and justice is a colossal fiction and deceit.
It is, of course, because of this direct Executive role for Sinn Fein that the DUP used to make dissolution of the Army Council a pre-requisite before policing and justice devolution could even be considered.
On 11th February 2008 Peter Robinson told the Belfast Telegraph that policing and justice devolution was not possible “while the IRA Army Council still exists.” And Jeffrey Donaldson MP told the NI Committee,
"There is no way that we will agree to the devolution of policing and justice powers when the IRA army council remains in place—no way. That is an issue that Sinn Fein will have to address and deal with."http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmgeneral/nigc/070724/70724s01.htm (at the end of Column 35)
Where now that pledge? Gone, alas, with all the rest as the DUP does whatever it takes to keep Sinn Fein on board and the executive afloat.
Now we face the obscene prospect of policing and justice issues being discussed in the Executive by and with Army Council members, because of the probability of continuing duality of membership. Yet in the DUP's parallel world this is another "victory" for Unionism!”
