Opposition condemns IRA statement in Dáil

The IRA statement announcing the withdrawal of its proposals to decommission and end activities that could damage the Belfast…

The IRA statement announcing the withdrawal of its proposals to decommission and end activities that could damage the Belfast Agreement has been condemned in the Dáil.

Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny described the statement as an affront to all Irish people, both north and south of the Border.

Mr Kenny said the IRA statement showed republicans were did not share " democratic values" of other parties. He called on Sinn Féin to clarify the contents of the IRA statement, particularly what he said was "an implicit threat" by the IRA that they will not adhere to their commitments to the Good Friday Agreement unless they get everything their own way".

He called for time to be set aside in the Dáil Order of Business to discuss the Government's response to the latest developments.

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The Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, claimed the IRA statement was "petulant, belligerent and somewhat threatening" and seeking to shift blame for the collapse of the peace process on anyone but Sinn Féin.

"All democratic parties must hold firm into their commitment that there must be a total rejection of criminality and paramilitarism by the republican movement if Sinn Féin is to be treated as a normal democratic political party."

The Progressive Democrats said they were not surprised at the IRA statement, but that they "regret both the negative contents and tone" of the statement.

"We call on the Provisional movement to end its self-imposed political isolation, to opt for exclusively peaceful and democratic means and to conclusively turn its back on paramilitarism and criminality," said party chairman Senator Tom Morrissey.