The SDLP has given a guarded welcome to the IRA statement on arms decommissioning today, describing it as "substantive progress".
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Mr Mark Durkan
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The North’s Minister for Finance, Mr Mark Durkan MLA, said he wanted to see the IRA continue contact with the international decommissioning body in the light of the statement.
"We need to make clear that as parties committed to achieving decommissioning, we want to see the IRA continue that contact with the decommissioning body with the early achievement of actual decommissioning," he said.
"I would hope that that has gone some way to reassuring those who believed that all General de Chastelain had was the permission to issue a statement and no more quality engagement than that".
Sinn Féin's Mr Alex Maskey said the IRA had shown its commitment to the peace process and it was now up to unionists to live up to their responsibilities.
"David Trimble signed up to the Good Friday Agreement and should let the de Chastelain's commission get on with their task and shoulder his responsibilities," he said.