The IRA has never stopped drawing up lists of potential targets, writes Jim Cusack, Security Editor
Despite the fact it is on its fifth consecutive year of ceasefire, the IRA has maintained itself in low-level military readiness.
There have been no indications it has been building or testing bombs or mortars, but it is known to have carried out arms training and continued to recruit members.
And, both gardaí and police in Northern Ireland agree, it has never stopped drawing up lists of targets for assassination, both in Northern Ireland and Britain.
The lists discovered during raids by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) two weeks ago, containing the names of Conservative and unionist politicians, is said to be standard fare to police on both sides of the Border. Gardaí say over the years of the Troubles they uncovered hundreds of such lists.
The information about the lists uncovered by the PSNI during the raids which followed the break-in at the Castlereagh PSNI Special Branch headquarters, was conveyed to gardaí during a conference of senior PSNI and Garda officers.
This took place at the Garda College, at Templemore, Co Tipperary, on April 4th and 5th.
Senior gardaí were not surprised that the PSNI had uncovered IRA target lists containing the names of police, people involved with courts and politicians. They were surprised, however, at the PSNI assessment that the IRA was "very active" in training and recruitment.
They were also surprised by the PSNI view that the IRA was actively involved in procuring new arms and military material. This type of activity is clearly at odds with two IRA acts of decommissioning.
The intelligence assessment in the Republic is that there will be no return to a full-blown IRA campaign so long as its political wing, Sinn Féin, is seen to be making political gains, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic.