Ministercondemns dissidents

Michal Martin said they were “betraying the ideal of unity by consent” and will not succeed in their attempts to undermine the peace process.

He said: “These people are endeavouring to portray themselves as republicans. I think the term dissident is a completely inappropriate term. Dissident relates to people of conscience during the Cold War, and that term has no application to the kind of indiscriminate bombings which have taken place or the murder of police officers or British Army personnel. They're betraying the republican tradition, they're betraying the ideal of unity by consent and in my view they will not succeed."

He added: “Violence is divisive, violence can never unite Ireland, violence can never unite communities, so I don’t get the rationale behind the actions of a very small minority who have been determined to undermine the agreement that people voted for.”

He said part of their strategy was to cynically create a situation where the British army might return to Northern Ireland.

Mr Martin said he would not meet the dissidents: “We do not believe in meeting people who are involved in reckless acts that kill, maim or injure people.”

When asked if he would meet the anti-agreement group, irg, and its spokesman Breandn MacCionnaith, the Minister replied: “I will meet people who are committed to the democratic route.”