David Trimble Quotes (68 Quotes)

We hope that they can, as they have done in the past, improve on what the IRA has done,

We haven't given up, nor will we give up. We will endeavor to see what we can do to reach an accommodation,

We have started and we will go on. and we will go on all the better if we walk rather than run. Sometimes we will stumble but this will not matter.

There is no doubt that there are people in the republican movement who have been guilty of breaches of the ceasefire,

I wonder if they have any idea of the damage that has been done to this process, and have they any ideas as to how to recover and repair that damage.

ready to carry out their side of the agreement.

We have done and will continue to do everything we can to maximize the opportunity that's here for people. I hope we've gone over the Rubicon this time.

While saying that there had been some progress, ... there are difficulties ahead.

Since Sinn Fein has repeatedly insisted it is separate from the IRA, Sinn Fein promises are not bankable, ... There has to be a commitment from the IRA, from the whole republican movement, in a credible manner.

In the event of that not happening by Monday and Tuesday, that will leave us with no alternative but to remove ourselves from the administration.

We all knew that the agreement was not going to be a magic wand and ... that there are elements opposed to it. These elements will not succeed.

It is patently obvious that those promises must be delivered, ... Let there be absolutely no doubt that I and my colleagues will hold republicans to the promises they have made. If there is any foot-dragging, there will be difficulties.

As we take stock of this century of achievement, Ulster Unionists have every reason to feel proud.

Circumstances give in reality to every political principle, its distinguishing colour, and discriminating effect. The circumstances are what render every civil and political scheme beneficial or noxious to mankind.

If there is a real commitment, then getting rid of the weapons could not possibly be a problem,

Whichever way you look at it, there is no justification for people holding on to illegal weapons and for retaining the structures of terrorist organizations, ... There is no justification for it. There is no need for it. Indeed, doing it opens the door to

I hope we can actually bring about fairly soon a situation in Northern Ireland where everybody, even those who, at the moment, are skeptical of the process, can feel safe and confident.

Recovery would be very simple -- let the prime minister put the information he has in the public domain,

It is not just a question of a symbolic action with regard to handing in some weapons,

This clears the way for the transfer of power from London to the Assembly.

Orangemen must realize that if this violence continues, it will only be a matter of time before we once again are following coffins,

We came here in hope that progress could be achieved, we came here in the hope that there would be significant movement by the republican movement for us to enable us to move forward together.

If the so-called war is really over, then there is no justification for holding on to illegal weapons.

We have stretched ourselves remarkably in the circumstances, ... It is also obvious there is a limit to how far we can stretch ourselves without an adequate response being made in the circumstances.

Of course, if they show they are committed to peaceful means and they honor the undertakings they gave under the agreement, there's still the prospect of people jumping together but it's time to start to deliver.

He has got to create confidence ... in Northern Ireland that the law will be observed and will be enforced, and when republicans are found to be behaving in a way that is contrary to their undertakings, that he will act.

In the future there cannot be room for ambiguity. They have to make their position absolutely clear before they can expect anyone to respond to it.

The one thing I can assure you is that I'm not going to do a Prescott.

I think it would be folly -- folly to try and force the IRA to do something which the British, in 30 years of war, could not achieve. This is a voluntary process.

It was made clear to Sinn Fein again and again and again that this experiment, this risk that we were taking, would be time-limited and would not run beyond the end of January.

It will kill off this issue for a generation. I am quite sure the result would be an overwhelming endorsement of the Union.

The dark shadow we seem to see in the distance is not really a mountain ahead, but the shadow of the mountain behind - a shadow from the past thrown forward into our future. It is a dark sludge of historical sectarianism. We can leave it behind us if we wish.

The important thing is that we get the matter resolved in a way that enables both sides to feel that their rights have been vindicated.

The debate revealed that the differences between us were tactical. They made clear that they are committed to an assembly on a cross community basis.

hooligan elements are continuing the work that the IRA have been engaged in for the past 30 years.

Each of these steps takes a little bit of time, but we've made the significant step today at getting the process started, ... We've agreed on a program of work and indeed on the next meeting in this format which will be in June.

We have not seen any sign of the republican movement committing itself in a realistic way to carrying out its share of the agreement. That is the problem.

There has been useful work done. There has been a degree of progress but ... it's not all there yet.

If they (IRA) put their weapons completely and verifiably beyond use, then we'll all be delighted,

There are parts of this agreement that we are not happy with. But we have judged that we have enough here to build on.

There have been problems, no doubt about it.

No doubt it (the car bomb), like the murder of Billy Wright in the Maze prison, is intended to destabilize the situation by provoking a reaction ... I hope people will not allow themselves, as they have been, to be provoked into reacting,

squandered the best opportunity that they have had to date in order to resolve this issue.

Whatever decisions are taken, there is no place for violence and riot and the incidents that we have seen over the last few days,

It is an inevitable fact of involvement in politics ... that you have to meet and work with a range of people and they are not all angels,

Now winter is here and there is still no sign of spring.

the energy and will to make progress.

an abuse of the public interest and a breach of the good faith which the two ministers pledged on taking up office.

We have still not secured any commitment (on IRA disarmament) that would be recognized by unionists. We consider that the guarantees are weak.

The people that we really need the answers from are the Republican movement and what they've got to do is they have got to tell us what they are going to do.