Governments have put Review on ice: Ford

12.00.00am GMT Tue 2nd Mar 2004

ALLIANCE Leader David Ford has said that the British and Irish Governments are "disengaged and detached" from the Review of the Agreement.

Speaking after a meeting today with British and Irish Ministers, Mr Ford stated:

"The two Governments have totally failed to treat the issue of paramilitary activity seriously, and it is now three weeks since we have had any meaningful discussions on the Review. Instead, they have allowed recent events to paralyse the entire process.

"Alliance has no intention of walking away from the Review. However, the Governments are refusing to treat seriously the need for sanctions against parties in default. This means that the Governments have effectively put the Review on ice.

"It is clear that by the time the IMC report is published in May, it is bound to get caught up in the election campaigns, north and south, rather than contributing positively to restoring devolution.

"The Governments have clearly not yet considered how to respond to the possible conclusions in the IMC report. If they are determined to resist calls for an early report, they need to spend some time considering how they will respond to the report. At present it seems they are not prepared to work constructively with democratic parties until that report is published."