Trimble denies his party was informed
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble moved today to scotch claims that he knew in advance about Irish and British Government moves to protect cross border bodies.
As his party and anti-Good Friday Agreement unionists continued to protest over recent legislation in the Dail guaranteeing the continued operation of north south bodies, Mr Trimble complained his party was not consulted about the moves.
After a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy in London, he denied claims by the nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan that both parties had been informed.
“We have recognised that something needed to be done in relation to the implementation bodies upon the suspension of the Assembly,” the Upper Bann MP explained.
“But we informed both our own government and the Irish Government at separate meetings that they should consult with us as to the precise form of any legislation. This they failed to do.
“At no point were we taken through the new side agreement and the legislation introduced into the Irish Parliament.
“We believe the form of the new side agreement is dangerously loose and had we been consulted we would have made our views known very clearly.”
Ulster Unionists and anti-Agreement unionists have protested vigorously in recent days about the moves to keep the implementation bodies functioning.
The bodies implement cross-border policies in tourism, inland waterways, food safety and other areas.
After a meeting with Mr Murphy in Stormont on Monday, Mr Trimble hinted his party could walk away from the current multi-party talks to restore devolution in protest at the cross-border bodies legislation.
A delegation from the UUP led by former Stormont Economy Minister Reg Empey was today meeting the Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen in Dublin.
In a bid to calm unionists, Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy claimed in Derry yesterday that the legislation was a “care and maintenance” move to protect the 700 jobs and work of the north-south bodies.
No new policies would be drawn up during suspension, he insisted, nor would the North South Ministerial Council meet while the Assembly was on hold.
Sinn Fein Assembly Group leader Conor Murphy today accused Ulster Unionists of “progressive disruption” of the cross-border bodies.
The Newry and Armagh MLA claimed: “Last September, the Ulster Unionist Party and Mr Trimble adopted a wreckers’ charter.
“They committed themselves to collapsing the political institutions and withdrawing from the agreement they signed up to four years ago.
“That is the context within which we must view the latest UUP moves concerning legislation to enable the All-Ireland bodies to function.
“In September, Mr Trimble spoke of progressive disruption of the All-Ireland aspects of the Agreement. This is a stage in that disruption and I would predict that in the coming weeks Mr Trimble will continue with this approach.”
Mr Trimble, nevertheless, continued his attack on the Irish and British Governments.
“Sadly, it appears that the Northern Ireland Office and Dublin’s Department of Foreign Affairs have reverted to type and returned to the bad old way of doing things away from public view and without consulting the other partners to the Belfast Agreement,” he said.
“This side agreement was done on November 19. If everything was fine and above board, where was the public announcement of a new deal?
“Indeed, would anyone outside the NIO and Department of Foreign Affairs have been aware of this new side agreement if it had not had to be legislated for in Dail Eireann?”
