The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, has described as "disgraceful and enormously unhelpful" a decision by the British government to retain the privately-owned land it has occupied around Crossmaglen barracks in south Armagh.
He said the Northern Secretary had told him the "level of security threat" justified the retention.
Mr Alex Attwood of the SDLP has called on the British government to speed up the demilitarisation process. He said it would build confidence in the political process.