IRA may declare it’s to disband in next few weeks

THERE is growing expectation that the IRA may make the historic declaration that it is disbanding within the next few weeks.

With contacts between all parties intensifying in recent weeks, reliable sources told the Irish Examiner yesterday that the Provisionals will announce that it is standing down by the end of this month and not in mid-July as was widely expected.

While the Government yesterday refused to speculate on when it expects the organisation to give its response to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, recent public pronouncements by leading players hinted at an earlier date.

Visiting Dublin on Monday, Northern Secretary Peter Hain said a response was "imminent," while the Taoiseach repeated in the Dáil that there was a need for positive progress before the marching season begins.

The Government spokesperson also pointed out that Sinn Féin had earlier indicated that the IRA would respond to Mr Adams' request asking the IRA to go out of existence within six weeks of the British general election, which took place in early May.

The Taoiseach, in the Dáil, denied that three meetings he held with Gerry Adams since January were "secret meetings."

"I've had no secret meetings with Gerry Adams. Despite all the difficulties, I made it absolutely clear that we would be maintaining dialogue with Sinn Féin and we continued to do that.

"My meetings were consistent with that."

The Taoiseach has had only two official contacts with Sinn Féin since the Northern Bank robbery, one in January and the other on the margin of St Patrick's Day engagements in Washington. In January, the Government insisted that there was little point in meeting with Sinn Féin until it addressed key issues surrounding the disbandment of the IRA, decommissioning and criminality.

In defending his position yesterday, Mr Ahern said: "these meetings were better conducted outside the glare of publicity," he said.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that the meeting gave rise to possible conflict in terms of motive.

"Does the Taoiseach not run the risk again of putting out the perception that the Government is tough in public on these matters but is quite prepared to negotiate in private," he asked.

The Dáil exchanges came ahead of Mr Ahern's meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London this afternoon. This morning, he will meet the DUP leadership, Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds in the Irish Embassy.

The Government spokesperson said that the meeting with Mr Blair would be dominated by the crisis in the European Union.