IRA 'moving towards closure of conflict'

The Irish peace process sprang to life again yesterday when the republican movement held out the prospect of its complete disarmament and a commitment to "complete and final closure of the conflict".

The language used by Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, was hailed in London and Dublin as a dramatic advance in a negotiating process that many had feared was running into the sands.

Sinn Fein presented the new republican position as unparalleled and unprecedented. But it was dismissed by David Trimble's Ulster Unionists as inadequate, signifying that yet another phase of tough negotiating lies ahead. London and Dublin hope that yet more clarification and advances can be achieved to allow elections to the suspended Northern Ireland Assembly to proceed as scheduled on 29 May.

The Adams speech came in response to three questions recently spelt out by Tony Blair. He asked republicans to clarify their position on arms, on whether the IRA would end activities such as punishment beatings, and whether it envisaged "the complete and final closure of the conflict". Last night Downing Street and the Irish government appeared pleased with two of Mr Adams' answers, but specified that clearer language was needed in relation to IRA activities.

Mr Adams was speaking in Stormont to elected Sinn Fein representatives from both sides of the border. He said the IRA had made clear, in a statement recently delivered to the two governments, its "resolve to a complete and final closure of the conflict, and its support for efforts to make conflict a thing of the past". He added: "This is unequivocal."

Addressing Mr Blair's questions, he said: "My answers are as follows. The IRA leadership has stated its determination to ensure that its activities will be consistent with its resolve to see the complete and final closure of the conflict."

On the question of IRA activities he continued: "The IRA statement deals definitively with these concerns about alleged IRA activity. Any such activities which in any way undermine the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement should not be happening. The IRA statement is a statement of completely peaceful intent. Its logic is that there should be no activities inconsistent with this."

On the arms issue, he said the IRA had indicated willingness to put arms beyond use. "Obviously this is not about putting some arms beyond use. It is about all arms.

"And, if the two governments and all the parties fulfil their commitments this will provide the basis for the complete and final closure of the conflict."

Mr Adams further said the IRA leadership was offering to put some arms beyond use, and that "all of this is still doable at this time if there is a positive response from the two governments and Mr Trimble".

A spokesman for Mr Blair described the speech as "a significant advance that does bring us closer to a solution", adding that he had addressed two of the three questions.

He added: "But we believe it needs to be clearer on IRA activities. Gerry Adams says that these should not happen, but he has said that in the past. We need to know that they will not happen, and that in saying that Gerry Adams is expressing the view of the IRA leadership."

In Dublin a government source described the move as a positive and significant response, adding: "We think we are close to a solution." He echoed Downing Street in calling for further clarification on paramilitary activity.

An Ulster Unionist spokesman said: "Republicans built up this statement into something that had the capacity to unlock the deadlock. In the end it failed to live up to its billing. It must be borne in mind that this was a statement by Mr Adams and not the IRA. In response to the three questions posed by the Prime Minister we are no further forward."