McDowell denies ‘nod and wink’ deal with IRA

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday strongly denied the Government had done a secret deal with the IRA allowing it to hold back some of its weapons arsenal from decommissioning.

He made it clear there was no "nod and wink" trade-off with republicans so they could "protect" nationalist areas in the North from any upsurge in loyalist violence.

"There is no reason to believe the IRA is cheating on its obligations.

"It should be understood, there is no secret understanding, side deal or 'nod and a wink' situation where the IRA can keep a level of weaponry.

"If they are cheating Irish people North or South there will be serious consequences.

"There is only one game in town and that is total disarmament," he said.

Mr McDowell added the reports he was referring to were press reports and not intelligence briefings.

The Justice Minister insisted he had faith in the findings of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD).

"The IICD reported that the IRA told them they had given up all their weapons. That was set out in the report," he said.

It has been claimed in recent weeks that IRA units on the ground had held onto "light arms" such as pistols, in areas like Belfast.

Mr McDowell has long been a hate figure for republicans due to his fierce criticism of their involvement in criminality, particularly of last December's Northern Bank raid which is believed to have netted some €39 million.

The hardline leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party continues to refuse to accept IRA decommissioning as complete due to lack of verifiable evidence.

DUP leader Ian Paisley dismissed the statements of the two clergymen who acted as independent witnesses to the IRA arsenal being put beyond use, branding them republican "appointees".