Government impose financial penalties on SF and PUP

The Government has confirmed that it is to impose a financial sanctions on Sinn Féin and the Progressive Unionist Party following the publication of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report on Tuesday.

In it, the IMC confirmed that "on the basis of reported figures - which, especially for assaults, may not reflect the full picture - the scale of paramilitary violence since 1 January 2003 has been worryingly high: approaching one murder a month; some three victims a week both from shootings and from assaults".

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Secretary of State, Paul Murphy said there would be a cut in the funding which the parties receive from government.

"The Commission says that, in the absence of a sitting Northern Ireland Assembly, it is not possible for it to make recommendations on measures which the Assembly itself might consider taking in response to its report," Mr Murphy said. "However, the Commission makes clear that 'had the Assembly now been functioning, we would have recommended in respect of Sinn Féin and the Progressive Unionist Party measures up to and possibly including exclusion from office'.

"But, in the absence of a sitting Assembly, the Commission recommends - and I quote - that I 'should consider taking action in respect of the salary of Assembly members and/or the funding of Assembly parties, so as to impose an appropriate financial measure in respect of Sinn Fein and the Progressive Unionist Party'."

This latest crisis follows the alleged abduction of dissident republican Bobby Tohill in February by the Provisional IRA.

The IRA leadership have denied sanctioning such a move, however the IMC were in no doubt who was behind the it.

"The Commission also expresses its belief that the incident in Belfast on 20 February was the responsibility of the Provisional IRA," the Commission said in its report.

Sinn Féin's Bairbre de Brun immediately hit out at the report, she said: "The IMC has no credibility with the broad nationalist electorate. It is a disgrace that the Irish government has signed up to the establishment of this body in the first place.

"There is of course nothing in the report of the IMC about the role of the British government in collusion, the continuing suspension of the political institutions or the continuing failure to demilitarise or deliver on policing, justice and human rights commitments."

(MB)