GARDAI in Limerick are still questioning a Tipperary man the 5th person arrested in connection with the killing of Det Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare 10 days ago.
The man, who is 50, was arrested at Toomevara on Saturday under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. He can be held without charge until later "today when he must be brought before a court or released.
On Saturday gardai released a man and a woman they had been "questioning since Thursday evening.
The Garda search for the men who killed Det Garda McCabe and injured his colleague, Det Garda Ben O'Sullivan, is concentrating on searches of IRA "safe" houses in the Munster area.
At the weekend the Taoiseach said the IRA had bombed Manchester in an attempt to deflect attention from its admission that its members bad killed Det Garda McCabe.
Mr Bruton said. "The news management aspect of the Manchester bomb shows that the IRA are cynical and empty of humanity. They knew well that they would be embarrassed by having to admit, despite earlier denials that their units did murder Det Garda Jerry McCabe.
"So to reduce the public relations embarrassment, they evidently timed another callous bombing in Britain to take news attention away from their admission of responsibility for Jerry McCabe's murder.
In its statement of admission, issued to RTE on Saturday morning the IRA said its leadership had "authorised no operations".
It said. "Our investigations have now established that individual volunteers were party to what happened at Adare."
The statement said the "shootings at Adare" were in "direct contravention of IRA orders" and "such shootings" "ere not "sanctioned by the IRA leadership".
It added. "We wish to make clear that we disavow these actions and will not tolerate any activity which is damaging to our struggle."
The statement was issued eight days after the original IRA statement in which it said none of its members was involved in the killing.
Unofficially, gardai had indicated from the afternoon Garda McCabe's murder that the IRA was responsible.
It is understood this was made clear to the Government from outset of the investigation, although there was no official confirmation of this until last Thursday when the Garda Commissioner, Mr Patrick Culligan, eventually said the force had "no doubt whatsoever" the IRA was," responsible.
Only after this statement did the Government concede the IRA was indeed responsible.
The following is the full IRA statement telephoned to the RTE newsroom on Saturday.
On Friday last the IRA leadership issued a statement regarding the killing of Jerry McCabe and the wounding of Garda Ben O'Sullivan at Adare.
We did so in the firm knowledge that IRA standing army order, recently reiterated to units, expressly prohibit any volunteers "from taking any military action against 26 county forces, under any circumstances whatsoever" and that the leadership had authorised no operations.
Our investigations have now established that individual volunteers were party to what happened at Adare. We wish to make our position clear.
The shootings at Adare were in direct contravention of IRA orders. Such shootings were not nor cannot be sanctioned by the IRA leadership. Those who carried out these shootings did so to the detriment of the republican cause.
We wish to make clear that we disavow these actions and will not tolerate any activity which is damaging to our struggle.
In conclusion let us send our deepest condolences to the families of those who suffered as a result of these shootings.
P.O'Nelll, Irish Republican Publicity Bureau, Dublin