Gerry Adams rejects reports on IRA existence

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 opposition figure lashed out at growing criticism over his party’s alleged links to criminality in a tense interview on RTÉ’s News At One programme yesterday in which he repeatedly referred to the crisis as “contrived”.

The Louth TD, who has long been associated with the IRA but consistently denies ever being a member, said it is “utter nonsense” to suggest the party is “accountable” to an “outside” body like the army council of the IRA. He dismissed the British intelligence report which claimed this.