Implementation

• The Northern Ireland Assembly made a good start. However, it has since been suspended because of unionist anger at the PIRA's refusal to decommission their weapons "transparently". Elections have carried on nonetheless and voting has polarised towards the more radical parties - the DUP and Sinn F�in. In 2004, negotiations were held to attempt to reestablish the Assembly and the Executive. These negotiations failed but the governments believed they were very close to a deal and published their proposed deal as the Comprehensive Agreement. This document is expected to form the basis of any future deal.

• Although the Royal Ulster Constabulary has now been replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, it is not yet deemed acceptable by Sinn F�in, the second-largest party, as all reforms promised have not yet been implemented. A 2005 survey[1] indicates that 83% of the Northern Ireland population have "some", "a lot", or "total" confidence in the police's ability to provide a day-to-day policing service.

• No PIRA weapons were decommissioned until October 2001, and the final consignment to be "put beyond use" was announced on 26th of September 2005. There has also been allegations of PIRA involvement in espionage at the Stormont Assembly (which prompted the UUP to collapse the Assembly), in training the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerillas, in several high-profile murders, and allegations of major robberies such as that of approximately �1 million of goods from a wholesaler and in excess of �26 million in the Northern Bank robbery. Loyalist, and to a lesser extent republican paramilitary organisations, are known to be currently involved in large scale racketeering operations, and are still believed to be actively recruiting and training new members.