Sinn Féin welcomes Fitzgerald’s call for IRA assessment

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has asked the Garda Commissioner to liaise with the PSNI and carry out a fresh assessment of the operations of the IRA in light of evidence emerging from the investigation into the death in Belfast of Republican Kevin McGuigan.

Her comments came as PSNI detectives investigating the murder of Mr McGuigan arrested a 47-year-old man in Belfast city centre. Mr McGuigan (53) was shot dead outside his home in Comber Court in the republican area of Short Strand on August 12th.

Ms Fitzgerald was speaking following allegations of IRA involvement in the killing of Mr McGuigan. She said making organisational judgements about the IRA was “complicated by the fact that many, if not all, members” of the group were also members of Sinn Féin.

In a statement, the Minister said there was no doubt people who have been associated with the IRA "have been - and continue to be - involved in the most serious crime" and that neither Gerry Adams nor Sinn Féin could "wash their hands of responsibility for that".

However, Ms Fitzgerald said it would be “quite wrong” to say the Provisional IRA continues to exist as if nothing has changed since the peace process.

Sinn Féin said the assessment of the status of the Provisional IRA will prove it no longer exists as an organisation. Sinn Féin Laois-Offaly TD Brian Stanley said the party has “no problem” with such an assessment.

“We have no problem with that, we welcome that. It will show that the army was stood down 10 years ago, that it doesn’t exist. That the mainstream of republicanism became involved totally in the republican process and that’s where it’s going and that’s what people are busy doing within Sinn Féin.”

However, Mr Stanley criticised Tánaiste Joan Burton for a statement she made in which she said the IRA was still linked to "murdering and racketeering" and that Sinn Féin cannot deny all knowledge of its criminality or existence.

He said Ms Burton is using the “silly season” and the killing of two people to criticise Sinn Féin.

Ms Burton earlier said she did not believe Mr Adams when he said the IRA has gone away and left the stage. “When people leave the stage, that leaves the question where do they go? Are they at the side of the stage or at the back of the stage?” she said.

Ms Burton said this was not about playing politics but she was simply reacting to the comments PSNI chief constable George Hamilton’s that the IRA still exists and to comments by Mr Adams made in Dundalk at the weekend.

Ms Fitzgerald criticised Mr Adams and said he should apologise for the organisation’s “dreadful legacy” which Sinn Féin “are responsible for” and called on him say what steps he takes to ensure there is no place in the party for people who engage in serious crime”.

“It is an inevitable legacy of the brutal campaign which PIRA waged,” she said. “And it is fair to ask Sinn Féin how they intend to address a legacy they are responsible for. It is a legacy of evasion which was bound to have people suspect a ballot box in one hand and sleight of hand with the other.”

Ms Fitzgerald said the information available to her was consistent with reports of the Independent Monitoring Commission which found the IRA remained on an exclusively political path and that the so-called “military” departments had been disbanded and the former terrorist capability had been lost.

“I have asked the Garda Commissioner to liaise closely with the PSNI and carry out a fresh assessment of the status of PIRA in the light of any new evidence emerging during the PSNI investigation into the death of Mr McGuigan,” she said.

Ms Fitzgerald said it was a time for calm and measured judgements and that it was not a time for any of us to “change the contempt we have held for what the Provisional movement stood for down through the years”.

‘Current facts’

She said she would be working closely with Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers on the topic and the PSNI investigation into the killing of Mr McGuigan should be allowed to proceed.

A DUP delegation will meet Ms Villiers on Wednesday. On Monday, Ms Villiers said she believed Sinn Féin still subscribed to the principles of democracy and consent and it should come as “no surprise” that there were still some IRA structures in place.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin since criticised Ms Villiers for her response and called for urgent talks between the British and Irish governments to discuss the implications of Mr Hamilton’s statement.

Mr Martin said the chief constable’s comments were “extremely serious and very worrying” while he was also critical of remarks made by Ms Villiers.

“The comments and the manner in which Theresa Villiers responded to the crisis yesterday, in my view, left an awful lot to be desired,” Mr Martin told BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday.

“I think we are at a new juncture here where both governments now seem to be implicitly accepting the existence of the IRA, and by implication, almost condoning it, on the basis that they are not engaged in the terrorism or the widespread murder and mayhem of yesteryear but rather have a different purpose,” he added.

Eleven people have been arrested by officers investigating the murder of Mr McGuigan.

No one has been charged in connection with the killing. Nine people were released, while one man was charged with firearms offences and remanded in custody.