Ritchie must bow to public pressure and stop loyalist paramilitary funding

10.13.30am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 27th Apr 2007

Castlereagh Alliance Councillor Michael Long

Alliance Vice Chair Cllr Michael Long has stated that this week's IMC Report has underlined the need for the SDLP's Margaret Ritchie to stop funding for loyalist paramilitaries when she becomes Social Development Minister on 8 May. He also said that the longer this sick funding saga is allowed to continue, the greater the insult to victims and survivors of the troubles.

Cllr. Long said: "This week's IMC Report underlines the urgent need for Margaret Ritchie to stop funding for loyalist paramilitaries when she becomes Social Development Minister.

"All eyes will be on her in first week in office because local people will be expecting her to stop this disgraceful cash windfall of loyalist paramilitaries.

"The longer that this sick funding saga goes on the more local people are appalled by it and the greater the insult to victims and survivors of troubles.

"Loyalist paramilitaries should not be receiving public money, instead they should be forced to pay back their ill-gotten gains to the people they have intimidated and conduced protection rackets against.

"Its time that loyalist paramilitaries shut down for good. They have no place in any peaceful, stable or prosperous society - they must disband."

ENDS