Adams says Sinn Fein have not asked for 'amnesties'

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has moved quickly to scotch the rumours that his party are in negotiations to establish an amnesty for on-the-run terrorists.

The Sinn Fein president made his remarks following a Commons question by UUP leader David Trimble to the Prime Minister on Wednesday 6 March. During that debate, Mr Trimble told the prime minister that the prospect of an amnesty for on-the-run terrorists would be "the last straw". In his answer, Mr Blair confirmed that it was "an issue that needs to be dealt with", but that he would not elaborate as to how far any discussion had progressed.

Mr Adams insisted that his party were not in discussions over a blanket amnesty, instead suggesting that Sinn Fein was seeking to "close a loophole … for a relatively small number of people".

Mr Adams was speaking at the launch of his party's annual Easter Lily campaign at Stormont to commemorate the 1916 rising.

"We are not looking for an amnesty," he said. "Let's just be very, very clear about this. This issue has been seized upon for entirely domestic, political reasons by the Tory Party to have a go at the Labour Party in Britain."

Mr Adams added: "I have dealt now with three secretaries of state on the issue that a number of people against whom warrants were issued, a relatively small number of people, had they been in prison and had not escaped or absconded on bail or whatever happened to be the particular circumstances, they would have been released. That loophole now needs to be sorted out."

The Conservative Party's spokesman for Northern Ireland, Quentin Davies, has attacked the Labour government over their willingness to discuss possible amnesties. "It is quite unjustified and frankly crassly stupid and irresponsible to make this concession to Sinn Fein/IRA," Mr Davies said.

The Tory MP added that there were no provisions within the Good Friday Agreement for an amnesty, however he said that republicans must "complete their obligations to decommission under that Agreement".

During Prime Minister's Question Time, Mr Trimble referred the prime minister to a speech he made during the campaign leading up to the Good Friday agreement in 1998 that "there will be no amnesty". He told the PM that his promise "was part of the basis on which people voted for the agreement".

(GMcG)