McGuinness urged to 'face responsibilities’ on arms
Stormont Assembly Education Minister Martin McGuinness was urged today to use his influence to persuade the IRA to give up its arsenal of weapons.
Sammy Wilson (DUP, East Belfast) told Mr McGuinness to face up to his responsibilities and stop ‘‘whinging’’ about the ban on Sinn Fein ministers attending cross-border meetings.
He was speaking as Mr McGuinness (Sinn Fein, Mid Ulster) and Health Minister Bairbre de Brun (Sinn Fein, West Belfast) launched an attack on First Minister David Trimble’s refusal to nominate them to the North South Ministerial Council.
Both ministers said the move, which they have successfully challenged at Belfast High Court, was preventing them fulfilling their duties.
Mr Wilson said: ‘‘Would the Minister not face up to the responsibility which he and his party have to give up both the means of terror and acts of terror which are being perpetrated in the name of the Minister?’’
Mr McGuinness said that under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement all the pro-Agreement parties shared a collective responsibility to resolve the arms issue.
‘‘I am certainly prepared to continue to fulfil my responsibilities in this regard. The actions of the First Minister with respect to the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) have clearly not served to resolve this issue,’’ he said.
Later, Ms de Brun said the refusal of Mr Trimble to nominate her to the North South Sectoral meetings on health had hampered progress in a number of areas of agreed co-operation.
‘‘The absence of NSMC meetings has meant that there has been a lack of ministerial strategic direction on the work being taken forward in each of the five areas which have been envisaged under the Good Friday Agreement,’’ she said.
