Martin Visit To Mark Patten Anniversary

A new book is being published to underline the successes of the Patten Report on policing in Northern Ireland.

It has been commissioned from the Royal Irish Academy by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) to mark last year's tenth anniversary of the Patten.

Dáil Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin and the NIO Secretary of State, Owen Paterson will launch the new book 'Policing the Narrow Ground' in Belfast today.

The Irish politician's trip comes just a week after he condemned the latest republican terrorist attack in NI - the car bomb incident on the Culmore Road in Londonderry - and is today due to visit Northern Ireland for a series of engagements.

Micheál Martin will be in Belfast and Lurgan, where he is expected to meet young people and activists involved in community relations.

Last Tuesday, he went on record on the IRA dissident attack and said: "Such attacks are utterly wrong and entirely futile. I appreciate that it caused fear and disruption to local residents. It is also an attack on the economic infrastructure in Derry at a time when everyone is trying to attract jobs, tourism and investment.

"The perpetrators are trying to undermine the future for our young people. The vast majority of people on this island will not let this misguided few dictate or disrupt that future," he said, noting, "I totally condemn this latest attack and I urge anyone with relevant information to supply it to the PSNI."

As well as the book launch, recalling former NIO politician and later Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten's fundamental review of the RUC and its background, Mr Martin is also expected to meet new Ulster Unionist Party leader, Tom Elliott.

(BMcC/KMcA)