McDowell refuses to recognise end to IRA criminality
He said he would not be satisfied until the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) - the body established by the two governments to monitor paramilitary activity - gave the IRA a clean bill of health in forthcoming reports, the first of which is due later this month, the second in January.
His remarks came as Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, at a press conference in Belfast, urged the governments to move rapidly towards the restoration of the power-sharing institutions in the North.
Mr Adams said the DUP and unionism generally needed “a little space to absorb the enormity” of IRA decommissioning, but warned that neither they nor the governments should delay unnecessarily.
“The two governments need to move speedily to fulfilling their commitments and injecting renewed momentum into the political process,” he said.
But Mr McDowell dampened any such expectation. Addressing the subject of IRA criminality, he remarked: “I’m not satisfied of those matters and I await the views of the IMC over the next number of months. I think we have to await their verdict on the matter.”
The IMC, he said, had been established despite “bitter opposition” from Sinn Féin.
“We can all see why after the Northern Bank robbery they were so anxious to prevent any independent monitoring body to keep an eye on what the provisional movement was up to,” Mr McDowell added.
“The Taoiseach has consistently said it is a matter of deeds and actions rather than words that matter now. As far as I am concerned, I will await the IMC reports (this month) and (in) January.”
Mr McDowell said he was prepared for the moment to accept the verdict of General John de Chastelain’s International Independent Commission on Decommissioning that the IRA had put its weapons beyond use.
“I’m willing to take that as a working assumption until someone proves otherwise,” he said.
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