War in North `is not over'

The war in the North is not over, Mr Des Murphy, a member of the ardchomhairle from south Armagh, told the delegates.

"I would like to say very clearly here today to David Trimble, Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern and the US government that, no, the war is not over. In south Armagh today the British military and the RUC, both overtly and covertly, are very much at war. All their posts have been refurbished and re-fortified. Helicopter flights have increased 10-fold."

Mr Murphy, who was speaking in Saturday's debate on justice and equality, said checkpoints and foot patrols had also increased 10-fold.

Mr John Crowley, of the Portlaoise Prison cumann, said the republican prisoners there supported the motion, later passed by delegates, that the ardfheis work towards a credible equality agenda as a means of creating a society which could lead to real peace with justice.

Ms Marie Cahill, of Ogra Sinn Fein, said her organisation believed the RUC had no role in the future of Ireland.

The Assembly member for West Belfast, Ms Bairbre de Brun, said the focus of much of the public debate on policing to date was on what would happen to the RUC. Sinn Fein believed a policing service should represent the community it served, be accountable, routinely unarmed, fair, efficient and impartial.