Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has denied he has any questions to answer over revelations contained in two detailed reports highlighting the provisional IRA’s continuing existence, despite admitting the supposedly non-existent army council still addresses “legacy issues from time to time”.

The Fianna Fáil leader is calling on the Taoiseach to publicly declare whether he intends to vote for John McNulty in the forthcoming Seanad by-election.

The Taoiseach has blown open a bitter row in his party by blaming unnamed officials for the botched handling of Fine Gael’s nomination for the Seanad by-election.