09/01/2007
Blair to release details of MI5's role in NI
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is due to release details of the future of MI5's future role in Northern Ireland, in a fresh attempt to break the current deadlock in the political process.
The move is understood to have come as a result of talks between the Prime Minister and Sinn Fein regarding the party's stance on policing.
The statement, which is due out tomorrow, is expected to outline the work, which the intelligence agency will carry out when it takes over national security at the end of 2007.
It is also intended to reassure nationalists over MI5's role in Northern Ireland in the future.
Sinn Fein has insisted that MI5 must be kept separate from civic policing, however PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde has supported the prospect of MI5 taking control of national security issues.
It is understood that Sinn Fein believe that Mr Blair's statement may shed some light over doubts over the security services involvement in policing, however the SDLP and Al Hutchinson, the oversight commissioner for police reforms in Northern Ireland, have expressed concerns about the implications of MI5 taking on the role for police accountability structures.
Speaking earlier today to the BBC, the SDLP's Alex Attwood said that at a time when other security measures are being relaxed, more stringent police powers should not be introduced.
He said: "How can you on the one hand normalise Northern Ireland society and on the other hand give the police this enormous power?"
He added that this would mean that officers could now go into any building under a lawful search and seize any document, even if there is no suspicion of that document being relevant to crime.
However Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams argued separating MI5's responsibilities from those of the PSNI, would mean that police would be totally accountable for all their actions - a key demand of republicans.
Commenting on tomorrow's statement, the official spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: "This is about setting out the distinct roles, the separate roles of the police service in Northern Ireland and the security service in Northern Ireland.
"Essentially what it is about is providing the reassurance that there will not be what some might regard as a force within a force - police working within the security services who are not accountable to local politicians, should the Assembly return."
(EF)
The move is understood to have come as a result of talks between the Prime Minister and Sinn Fein regarding the party's stance on policing.
The statement, which is due out tomorrow, is expected to outline the work, which the intelligence agency will carry out when it takes over national security at the end of 2007.
It is also intended to reassure nationalists over MI5's role in Northern Ireland in the future.
Sinn Fein has insisted that MI5 must be kept separate from civic policing, however PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde has supported the prospect of MI5 taking control of national security issues.
It is understood that Sinn Fein believe that Mr Blair's statement may shed some light over doubts over the security services involvement in policing, however the SDLP and Al Hutchinson, the oversight commissioner for police reforms in Northern Ireland, have expressed concerns about the implications of MI5 taking on the role for police accountability structures.
Speaking earlier today to the BBC, the SDLP's Alex Attwood said that at a time when other security measures are being relaxed, more stringent police powers should not be introduced.
He said: "How can you on the one hand normalise Northern Ireland society and on the other hand give the police this enormous power?"
He added that this would mean that officers could now go into any building under a lawful search and seize any document, even if there is no suspicion of that document being relevant to crime.
However Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams argued separating MI5's responsibilities from those of the PSNI, would mean that police would be totally accountable for all their actions - a key demand of republicans.
Commenting on tomorrow's statement, the official spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: "This is about setting out the distinct roles, the separate roles of the police service in Northern Ireland and the security service in Northern Ireland.
"Essentially what it is about is providing the reassurance that there will not be what some might regard as a force within a force - police working within the security services who are not accountable to local politicians, should the Assembly return."
(EF)
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