The Conservatives have echoed warnings that without changes to its constitution, the eagerly-awaited IRA statement could result in what Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte has called "a weasel-worded fudge".
Mr Rabbitte expressed his concerns following Monday's report in The Irish Times that the internal republican consultation will apparently not involve the holding of a convention or changes to the IRA constitution and mission statement.
In the House of Commons yesterday the Conservative Northern Ireland spokesman, David Lidington, said the IRA constitution held the IRA army council to be the legitimate source of authority in Ireland. And he urged Secretary of State Peter Hain that the constitution would have to be changed in evidence of any statement committing the IRA now to pursue its objectives by purely peaceful and democratic means.
Mr Hain sidestepped the question of the IRA constitution, agreeing that "words do matter" but "actions matter even more."
He said the government would be unable to proceed in any political negotiation to restore power-sharing unless it could put on the table "the definitive end" to all PIRA's paramilitary and criminal activity.
Conservative Ann Winterton asked Mr Hain if he agreed that public confidence would not be restored "until the structures of terrorism are dismantled".
Again Mr Hain avoided a direct reply, saying that getting rid of all violence was the government's aim.