Bid for peace in Ireland

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 23

Bid for peace in Ireland

I NZPA Dublin The former Irish Foreign Minister, Mr Sean Macßride, has confirmed in Dublin that negotiations are under way between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Ulster to set up a peace plan between the two warring commun-i ities. Protestant sources de- [ dined, however, to confirm, the news, which was re-; vealed on Monday night in a I television broadcast. j According to the pro-| gramme, a document giving | the outline of the peace plan was submitted to the provisional Irish Republican Army in a United Nations building in Paris. I.R.A. Provisional leaders were reported to be studying the plan, but recent, difficulties, after Protestant extremist calls for a general strike, have reportedly tem-| porarily halted progress. Mr Macßride added that as a result of the talks “there were several bits of paper and several drafts—but they were still inconclusive.” News of the latest talks could cause political rows in Dublin and Belfast. The view of the Irish Gov- j emment is that the Provi-: sional I.R.A. has no right.. because of its violence, to [ sit at any kind of negotiating table. A Government source in Dublin said: “The men of violence on both sides have to lie worn down and dealt with under the process of law and not by any phoney political) negotiations.”