IRA slated over links to organised crime

OPPOSITION parties in Dublin reacted to yesterday’s Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report by expressing disappointment that all criminal activities had not yet ceased.

While Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny welcomed confirmation that the IRA has made a strategic decision to end its armed campaign, he said yesterday’s report included “a number of findings which suggest that the IRA is being somewhat selective in its fulfilment of the promises made last July to end all activities”.

“In particular, it confirms that IRA involvement in organised crime is continuing. It also finds that intelligence gathering is still being authorised by the provisional leadership to support their political strategy. These practices are totally unacceptable and must be ended if Sinn Féin wants to be treated as a fully democratic party,” he said.