Letter: Northern Ireland: the solution may lie in vibrant politics with a small 'p'

Sir: Conor Cruise O'Brien opines ('Drifting towards an IRA victory', 9 July) that the IRA is winning in Northern Ireland. What has been consistently lacking in his gloomy prognostications over the past 20 years is any mention of a coherent strategy to improve the situation.

We who live here are by no means convinced of the inevitability of a slide into civil war. There is increasing support for a solution based upon some form of cross-community devolved administration. This would have to be agreed by the local politicians, who need every help and encouragement possible. When agreed, it would have to be put to the electorate of Northern Ireland (and, preferably, the Republic of Ireland at the same time).

Such an agreed solution would assuredly be accepted in a referendum or referendums, and would then have to be guaranteed by both the Irish and British governments.

Many people here have been working steadily to gather support for this way forward, most recently the Opsahl Commission. Its excellent report recommends a devolved government based on equal partnership between the two sections of the community, and legal recognition of the validity of the Irish identity within Northern Ireland.

Could commentators such as Dr O'Brien desist from hand-wringing and concentrate on such positive initiatives? When one is a passenger on a leaking ship in stormy waters, one does not appreciate people who call in strident voices that all is lost; one rather longs for the person who gets a repair programme under way, no matter how huge the problems involved.

I remain convinced that Northern Ireland will not in fact sink. But the more genuine workers we have on board, the quicker will repairs be effected and the crisis ended.

Yours faithfully,

TERENCE DONAGHY

Belfast