UNIONIST politicians have welcomed the British government's decision to include the Union, Jack on the new national identity, card and driving licence, which was launched yesterday.
However, they were unhappy that nationalists will be able to opt for the current driving licence, which simply bears the British royal crest. The Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, had argued that includes the Union Jack on identity cards could cause offence.
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said: "Instead of producing one common ID card, the Government has allowed a Northern Ireland opt-out for republicans. The a Ia carte ID card proposal is indicative of a Cabinet unable to agree and too weak to decide. "There should be only one card with the union flag on it, not a menu of designer cards where a political choice has to be made by the citizen."
The Ulster Unionist Party honorary secretary, Mr Jim Rodgers, said that the North should not have been treated differently from England, Scotland and Wales.
Ownership of identity cards will be voluntary, but the DUP councillor, Mr Sammy Wilson, said that it should be compulsory as a means of "cutting down security fraud, helping detect criminals and reducing vote stealing at elections".
The SDLP MP, Dr Joe Hendron, welcomed the principle and said the cards would prevent vote-stealing. He also said they would help young people in west Belfast "who will be able to show the security forces who they are so there will be no excuse to arrest them".
However, he criticised the £15 charge, and described the format as a "dog's breakfast" because the cards were neither compulsory nor uniform. There was no need for any flag, he added.
But SDLP councillor, Ms Mary Muldoon, expressed concern about the principle of identity cards which, she said, had not been given serious debate. She predicted that the take-up rate in nationalist areas would be very low.
Sinn Fein councillor, Mr Joe Austin, said that there were already numerous cards, books and means of providing proof of identification.
He feared that the ID cards would inevitably become another part of the British government's arsenal of repression", and would be used "to spy on people and further infringe individual rights".