Opposition reaction: Sinn Féin's credibility is "in tatters", Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte has claimed.
Speaking in Naas yesterday, Mr Rabbitte referred to IRA involvement in the murder of Robert McCartney in the Short Strand area of Belfast, and in the Northern Bank robbery.
"The reality is that whatever little credibility the Sinn Féin leadership had is now in tatters and the goodwill that had been extended by other parties to Sinn Féin, in the hope that it would boost the peace process, has been shamelessly abused by them," he said.
Mr Rabbitte said the public could not accept wild stories about republicans being set up by "securocrats".
Sinn Féin leaders should say what they know of the reported involvement of some of their prominent colleagues in the activities under investigation, he said.
Fine Gael said the onus remained on Sinn Féin to declare a commitment to exclusively democratic politics.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, repeated the view that the time had come for Sinn Féin to make up its mind over its links with the IRA.
"Little more than two weeks ago, Sinn Féin said that they were no longer going to interpret on behalf of the IRA, but today Gerry Adams is stating that he still doesn't think the IRA were involved in the Northern Bank robbery," he said.
"Fine Gael have been recently looking at funds needed to fight the next general election and the work involved in raising that. Any democratic party is entitled to question whether there's a level playing field for all parties."
The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, said Republicans would have to confess more fully to the exact nature of their paramilitary activities if they were to win again the trust of democratic society.
"I still believe that there's a lot of posturing going on to try and give the impression that Sinn Féin can ditch undesirable elements from within its ranks and proceed as if nothing had happened," he said.
