NORTHERN IRELAND Assembly politicians have insisted that they will not be deflected from pressing ahead with devolution by the car bomb attack on Newry courthouse on Monday night.
The dissident republican bomb in Newry has also been condemned by the joint chairmen of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly – and US special economic envoy Declan Kelly has said that those who carried it out “will not prevail”.
In a statement issued at the close of the Assembly’s 40th plenary conference in Cavan yesterday morning, Donegal TD Niall Blaney and former Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy MP condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”.
At a session on Monday, the conference heard a joint address by Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott. Mr Murphy said it was “a highly significant moment – something that would not have been imaginable when the assembly first met 20 years ago”.
Condemning the car bomb attack, he added: “Those responsible clearly set out with the intention to kill and injure, and we should provide the PSNI and the Garda with as much support as possible in their work against dissidents.” Special envoy Mr Kelly said: “It’s a regrettable act and it could have led to very serious consequences. Thank God it didn’t.
“I’ve said several times that anything like this is unwelcome, and if it creates instability it’s not good.
“I know that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is actively investigating what happened. I’m sure they will pursue those investigations fully.
“But it’s not helpful. Now let me tell you that I think it’s an act of a small number of people who will not prevail.”
The PSNI said it was down to “divine intervention” that no one was killed or seriously injured in the explosion.
There were no injuries although the 250lb bomb damaged parts of the courthouse, a Presbyterian church and nearby buildings.
Police in Newry were warned by a member of the public of the vehicle that was abandoned at the courthouse on Monday night but official warnings using recognised code words were not issued until shortly before the explosion.
Chief Supt Alisdair Robinson said a phone call warning did not come in until 10.20pm on Monday, just 17 minutes before the explosion.
“At the time we were still clearing the area. But for the fact there was divine intervention, there could have been multiple casualties,” he said.
DUP First Minister Peter Robinson and Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness issued a joint statement condemning the Newry bombing.
They insisted the attack would not undermine recent political progress in Northern Ireland.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward and SDLP, Ulster Unionist and Alliance politicians were among the wide range of politicians who denounced the attack.
Alliance leader David Ford said the best political response was for politicians to demonstrate that devolution could work.
Mr Ford said he was encouraged by Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness yesterday agreeing a new “shared future” strategy for Northern Ireland, which is to be put out for public consultation.
