McDowell says IRA still 'illegal organisation'

Dail Report: The IRA is an "illegal, treasonable organisation" and until it becomes a legal body, "membership of it and all its assets will be unlawful", Minister for Justice Michael McDowell told the Dáil.

There was "no question of a line being drawn across the page in respect of IRA crime proceeds", which would be pursued in the wake of the publication of the Independent Monitoring Commission's (IMC) report on paramilitary activity.

The Minister was unaware of any IRA-sponsored crime taking place since the organisation's statement on July 28th in which it said it was ceasing to engage in paramilitary activities.

"I have to admit that, frankly," he said.

However, he told Fine Gael's justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe: "I want to stress that the IRA is an illegal, treasonable organisation proscribed under the 1939 Offences Against the State Act and remains such.

"Until it changes its rule and constitution and becomes a lawful organisation, membership of it and all its assets will be unlawful."

Mr O'Keeffe said the Minister had said some 1,500 people were active in the IRA. "Does he now believe that they are all on the straight and narrow?"

Mr McDowell said his best estimate of IRA membership on the whole island was between 1,100 and 1,500.

"I have no doubt that some of them were capable of such sadistic and thuggish and brutal activities in the past that they may be tempted to repeat those things again on their own account in the future."

Mr O'Keeffe also said "some of the proceeds of crime appeared to have been diverted into political activity.

"Is the Minister concerned that there may be a continuing diversion of such funds into the coffers of the Sinn Féin party?"

Mr McDowell said he understood that in Northern Ireland, "Sinn Féin claim to have spent less on recent elections than the Alliance Party. Only a child would believe that from the evidence on the ground."

He also discounted all denials from Sinn Féin and the Provisional movement about involvement in the Northern Bank robbery and he referred to the Garda's confirmation that money found in Cork was linked to that of the Northern Bank.

"In relation to the proceeds of IRA crime over many, many years - and we have to remember that it goes back not merely to some of the more notorious crimes - several retail magnates were kidnapped by the IRA. On one occasion a young garda lost his life in the rescue attempt."

He added that "all the proceeds from crime and from smuggling and robberies are forfeitable to the State, and the Cab and Assets Recovery Agency will pursue those proceeds wherever and whenever they can find them inside or outside the State, and there is no question of a line being drawn across the page in respect of IRA crime proceeds".

He said the signals from the IMC "are encouraging".

"There is no evidence of training or recruitment by them after July 28th. However, there are indications that the organisation's intelligence function remains active, though its focus may become more political."

He added that "the IMC states that it has no evidence that the Provisional IRA is generally allowing those it has exiled to return to Northern Ireland safely should they wish to do so".