Taoiseach says loyalists need 'space, encouragement and support'

16/10/2005 - 15:54:19
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said today that loyalists need space, encouragement and support to move beyond their recent past.

Mr Ahern said those in the North on the unionist side will get a positive response from the Irish Government if they take the same path as Republicans.

He was speaking at the annual Fianna Fáil Wolfe Tone commemoration at Bodenstown in County Kildare where he hinted that it's time for Loyalists to decommission their weapons.

The Taoiseach also hinted that the latest report from the International Independent Monitoring Commission may record incidents of criminality by the specialist IRA units.

The document was delivered to the Government last week and is expected to be published in full within the next few days.