"The argument that the present political process can deliver real and meaningful change has been significantly undermined by the course of events over the past 15 months.

"This culminated in the failure last week to establish the political institutions set out in the Good Friday Agreement.

"The Agreement has failed to deliver tangible progress and its potential for doing so has substantially diminished in recent months.

"The credibility and motivation of unionist leaders who signed up to the agreement is now clearly open to question.

"They have repeatedly reneged on the commitment they made in signing the agreement and successfully blocked the implementation of its institutional aspects.

"It is clearly their intention to continue their obstructionist tactics indefinitely.

"There is irrefutable evidence that the unionist political leadership remain at this time opposed to a democratic peaceful settlement.

"Recent events at Stormont cannot obscure the fact that the primary responsibility for the developing political crisis rests squarely with the British Government.

"They have once again demonstrated a lack of political will to confront the unionist veto.

"Over the past five years we have called and maintained two prolonged cessations of military operations to enhance the peace process and underline our definitive commitment to its success.

"We have contributed in a meaningful way to the creation of a climate which would facilitate the search for a durable settlement.

"The first of these cessations foundered on the demand by the Conservative Government for an IRA surrender.

"Those who demand the decommissioning of IRA weapons lend themselves in the current context inadvertently or otherwise to the failed agenda which seeks the defeat of the IRA.

"The British Government has the power to change the context and should do so.

"It remains our view that the roots of conflict in our country lie in British involvement in Irish affairs.

"Responsibility for repairing the damage to the argument that the current political process can deliver real change rests primarily with the British Government."

The statement is signed "P O'Neill".