McGuigan murder: Flanagan to discuss fallout with Villiers

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald are preparing to meet Northern Secretary Teresa Villiers to discuss the political fallout from the murder of Kevin McGuigan.

With the North’s powersharing administration in crisis since the murder was linked last week by a PSNI detective to the Provisional IRA, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams insisted on Sunday that the IRA had gone away “undefeated” and was not involved in the killing of the former IRA member.

Mr McGuigan’s shooting on August 12th is believed to have been in retaliation for the murder of Gerard “Jock” Davison last May.

Mr Flanagan and Ms Fitzgerald are due to hold separate meetings with Ms Villiers in the North on Tuesday week. Mr Flanagan said “serious and grave” issues would be discussed.

Security threat

"There's a very serious criminal investigation under way. It's important that it is based on evidence and fact. There are issues for the investigating authorities, with particular reference to the PSNI," he told The Irish Times. "It's less than helpful for politicians to be making calls on evidence or who's responsible at this stage."

Ms Fitzgerald moved to play down any suggestion of a difference between the PSNI and An Garda Síochána in their assessment of the security threat posed by the Provisional IRA in the wake of the murder.

Ms Fitzgerald insisted that Garda Commissioner Nóirín O Sullivan and PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton shared the same view.

Meanwhile, Mr Adams accused opposition forces who, he said, had “opportunistically and cynically seized on the killing of Kevin McGuigan”, of a “deliberate effort to undermine Sinn Féin’s mandate, the rights and entitlements of our electorate and the peace process”.

He said “anyone who threatens to take action against Sinn Féin in the Assembly and Executive has no basis whatsoever for this”.