IRA members want their leadership to clear the air over allegations surrounding the allegation that Mr Freddie Scappaticci is the key British agent "Stakeknife", write Dan Keenan and Suzanne Breen in Belfast.
Their calls came as Mr Scappaticci released a statement through his solicitor yesterday, stating he was not "Stakeknife" and denying "each and every one" of the allegations levelled against him.
The statement from solicitor Mr Michael Flanigan denied Mr Scappaticci was an informer, denied any contact with British intelligence or that he was in their pay.
It also stated he had not been taken into protective custody. However, it did not refer to involvement in the IRA.
IRA sources contacted yesterday by The Irish Times said it was time for the organisation's leadership to end the confusion.
"There has been no clear statement on any of this from the leadership," said one. The west Belfast IRA member said the leadership needed "to be straight" about what was going on. "If, as they are saying, Scappaticci is still in Ireland, why hasn't he appeared at a press conference to deny these claims?" Another IRA source suggested that the confusion about Mr Scappaticci's location was being deliberately fostered by the republican leadership as they waited for the heat to go out of the controversy.
The British ministry of defence confirmed yesterday that the army had run an agent in Northern Ireland, who was known to them as "Steak Knife" .
Asked if he was now in their custody, a spokesman replied: "No." When asked if he had been in their custody at any time since Sunday, he said he did not know.
"Sir John Stevens has made it known that he wishes to interview 'Steak Knife' in connection with his ongoing inquiry. It would therefore be inappropriate for the MoD to comment further."
Sir John, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, is investigating collusion between security forces in Northern Ireland and paramilitary killers.
The Taoiseach told the Dáil yesterday that the Government has raised with the British-Irish secretariat the allegations relating to "Stakeknife". Mr Ahern said the matter would be followed up from there. "I am not too certain that the British political system would have any more information. . . It is normally helpful in these matters, but we raised it yesterday and will pursue it in coming days to see if we can obtain information. At this stage, it appears to be an issue of the British army and military intelligence."
He said the allegations "raise fundamental questions about accountability and the rule of law. They also give rise to concerns about a number of murder cases, the list of which is already long and to which this allegation adds."
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said in Brussels: "If it's the case that what has come to light is correct, then that is deeply disturbing and worrying and certainly it's an area where we would have to express in the strongest possible terms our concern."
There was continuing claim and counter-claim about Mr Scappaticci's whereabouts. Reliable British sources reaffirm he is outside Northern Ireland, while republican sources continue to insist he had not left.
In an interview on UTV last night, the former British agent known as Kevin Fulton said he knew Mr Scappaticci and stated he did play a role in the IRA's internal security unit or "Nutting Squad". He did not accept the denials contained in the solicitor's statement.
Meanwhile, the Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, told the General Synod in Dublin that he was disturbed by the allegations relating to how British intelligence operated.