The SDLP warned today the IRA should not be allowed to 'privatise' criminality in the wake of yesterday's statement to end its armed struggle.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan warned that the republican movement must end all illegal activities and sign up to policing in Northern Ireland.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan
Speaking after an 80-minute meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Mr Durkan also called on the British government to publish a timetable for security normalisation.
"It's important that we don't have a notion of privatisation out there. "That we don't have a private army for political purposes any more but we're allowed a privatised army for criminal or pseudo-commercial purposes.
"It's also important that we don't have a notion that people are licensed to do what they want as long as it is on a personal basis, not on a corporate basis," said Mr Durkan, who lead a six member party delegation.
Mr Durkan said people in the unionist and nationalist communities will be keeping an eye on what the IRA are up to in coming weeks.
"We can't have some neutrality between crime and law - some sort of halfway house twilight zone.
"The Provisional movement is saying we're not in favour of criminality anymore but we're not in favour of the law yet either."
Mr Durkan called for a speedy resumption of political talks to set about implementing the Belfast Agreement and restoring devolution.