Sinn Féin look forward to British government statement on MI5

9 January, 2007

Responding to the confirmation that the British government are to issue a new statement in relation to the role of MI5 here, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Policing issues Gerry Kelly said:

"During the intense negotiations over the Christmas period Sinn Féin made  the issue of ending MI5 involvement in civic policing a priority. We have been involved in detailed work on this issue with the British government in recent weeks.

"The proposals which the SDLP claimed to have negotiated at St. Andrews were completely unacceptable. They would have embedded MI5 within the PSNI. This would have generated the potential to create once again a force within a force.

"The British government have now indicated that they are to make a new statement regarding the role of MI5. This statement must put in place mechanisms to ensure the complete separation of MI5 from civic policing. There can be no integration of MI5 and the PSNI. All PSNI members must be fully answerable to the Patten accountability mechanisms, hard won in negotiations." ENDS