The Taoiseach said today he had no "hard evidence" on who sits on the IRA army council despite the belief of his Government colleague, the Minister for Justice, that Sinn Féin leaders are part of the Provisionals' ruling body.
|
|
Mr McDowell: confident over IRA army council claims |
Mr McDowell said today that his and Mr Ahern's comments were consistent.
Mr McDowell's remarks yesterday - when he named Mr Gerry Adams, Mr Martin McGuinness and North Kerry TD Mr Martin Ferris as members of the seven-man body - provoked strong denials from Sinn Féin
Mr McGuinness rejected Mr McDowell's claims and said they were politically motivated to hit party support in two coming by-elections.
Mr Adams, Mr McGuinness and Mr Ferris issued a joint statement this evening denying they are members of the IRA or its army council.
"We want to state categorically that we are not members of the IRA or its army council. Our involvement in the peace process is as leaders of Sinn Féin and as elected representatives for West Belfast, Mid Ulster and Kerry North respectively," the statement said.
Mr Ahern insisted in Dublin today that he did not know who sat on the Army council but repeated his long-held belief that Sinn Féin and the IRA were two sides of the same coin.
"I do not know who's on the army council. I understand that the process is they change it around. I don't have intelligence reports on it. I do not have hard evidence," he said.
Speaking in Hillsborough Castle in Co Down, Mr McDowell insisted the Government was at one on the issue.
"The Taoiseach and I are both telling the truth," he said. "In relation to the Taoiseach's language, if you study it carefully he said that he doesn't attend army council meetings and therefore personally does not know the matter.
"When I seek on the matter I speak on the basis of authoritative intelligence briefing which are available to me and I am absolutely confident in the correctness of those briefings and the transparency with which I have reflected them in public."
Mr Ahern said he was still prepared to deal with Sinn Féin leaders in political talks. "The easiest thing for me would be to walk away and exclude them," he said.
Responding to the recent challenge by Mr Adams to "put up or shut up" on Sinn Féin's prior knowledge of the Northern Bank robbery, Mr Ahern said: "We have put up."
He added: "They now have to deliver. Otherwise it will continue to unravel. We're into an unravelling situation that is serious and is going to continue to be serious from the knowledge that I have."
Mr Ahern said the marching season in Northern Ireland was only four weeks away and it presented difficulties every year.
Mr Ahern was speaking at the start of the by-election campaign for his candidates for Kildare North and Meath, Ms Aine Brady and Councillor Shane Cassells.
Additional reporting PA
