A delegation of US Congressmen visiting Northern Ireland have been urged to keep pressure on the Provisional IRA to dismantle its structures.
Democratic Unionist MP Gregory Campbell said that during talks yesterday with the delegation of Republicans and Democrats his party's supporters were looking for reassurance that the Provisionals were no longer a running sore in the community.
"The US delegation were pressed by us to assist on the economic front so that inward investment from American companies can increase. We also told them it was essential that further moves needed to be made by Sinn Fein on the further dismantling of the IRA structures to give confidence to our community that the IRA are not a continuing sore in our community," the East Derry MP said.
"Over the coming months there will be increasing attention — particularly by people from the unionist community looking at the current state of this process - to determine what the benefits are from political developments taking shape at present.
"It is essential they see progress being made. Any assistance that can be offered from the US will be gladly received."
The delegation of eight members of the US House of Representatives will today meet Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister-in-waiting Martin McGuinness and his Sinn Fein colleagues, Gerry Kelly, Bairbre de Brun, Alex Maskey and Jennifer McCann.
Among those taking part in the visit are Massachusetts Democrat Congressman Richie Neal and New York Republican Congressman Jim Walsh.