The Sinn Féin President Mr Gerry Adams has told a social gathering of about 100 Irish-American supporters in Cincinnati that the recent murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast, purportedly by elements of the IRA, was a "heinous, disgraceful act" and stressed his belief that the IRA will one day cease to exist.
Speaking on the first stop on his week long US tour, Mr Adams also took issue with the notion in some quarters that Sinn Féin is losing popularity with many of its former backers. He said yesterday's results of the Meath by-election showed that the party is actually gaining in support.
Mr Adams appealed to his audience to use all of its influence to get the US government involved in helping restore a dialogue between the two sides.
The Sinn Féin leader reiterated what he told last week's Sinn Féin party conference last week that, "We in Sinn Féin want to see the IRA ceasing to be. I have said that I do think we'll see the day when there is no IRA."
Mr Adams made his comments as it was revealed that a former Sinn Féin Assembly candidate was present on the night Mr McCartney was murdered.
Mr Adams said Sinn Féin stands firmly in support of the family of the victim.
Cora Groogan, who ran for Sinn Féin in the November 2003 Assembly elections in Martin McGuinness's Mid Ulster constituency, said she was in Magennis's bar on January 30 when a fight erupted resulting in the murder of Mr McCartney.
However, she insisted she saw nothing inside the bar and confirmed she had given a full statement to her solicitor.
Robert McCartney's sister, Catherine, said the issue raised serious concerns about Sinn Féin's attitude to democracy and justice.
"Ultimately this person could have been sitting as a Government Minister, overlooking Policing and Justice. Initially Sinn Féin's first response was that she left the bar at 8.30pm, then they came back with the statement that she left at 11pm and saw nothing.
She said she would it leave it to people to analyse the statement and decide for themselves. "This is an accountable political party. I think people are intelligent enough to figure out themselves whether this is the type of party they want running the country."
Miss McCartney confirmed that she was considering running as an independent candidate in the South Belfast constituency in the Westminster election .
But she was unable to substantiate claims that three of her sisters would run in the other Belfast constituencies. However, it is understood that elder sister Paula intends running in the Short Strand area of east Belfast in the local council poll.