Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recent decommissioning of weapons by the Provisional IRA; his further views on whether it is likely that loyalist paramilitary organisations such as the UVF, UDA, and LVF will reciprocate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26839/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The announcement last week that the IRA had put all of its arms beyond use is a victory for the democratic process. That many of us had hoped that this positive development would have occurred sooner does not detract from its significance. We now look forward to confirmation by the Independent Monitoring Commission, in its reports scheduled for October and January, that all paramilitary and criminal activity by the IRA has finished.

We also look forward to, and emphasise the importance of, the placing of arms beyond use by loyalist paramilitaries. In this regard, the IICD report stated last week that its work will not have been completed until the issue of loyalist arms, as well as arms in the possession of other paramilitary groups is dealt with. All who are in a position to encourage this process should take every opportunity to do so.

The Deputy will be aware that representatives of the UVF and the UFF have had discussions in the past with the IICD with regard to the modalities of decommissioning. The IICD reported that the LVF decommissioned a quantity of arms in December 1998. The organisations in question have repeatedly stated that they could only fully address the issue of arms in a context of reciprocation from the IRA. Taken together, the IRA statement of 28 July and the decommissioning process completed last week now place a heavy responsibility on the various loyalist groups to put their arms beyond use.