IRA genuinely helping find bodies: Adams

The IRA has made a genuine attempt to help locate the bodies of people abducted, killed and buried during the Troubles, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams insisted tonight.

Just 24 hours after the organisation issued a statement insisting it had passed on all the information available to them about the burial sites of the so called disappeared,” Mr Adams hoped an end could be brought to the agony of the families of Jean McConville and Columba McVeigh.

The Sinn Féin president also said he was prepared to help locate Armagh man Gareth O’Connor who the Provisionals have denied kidnapping.

Revealing that he had held two meetings with the families of the “disappeared”, the west Belfast MP said he hoped the remains of a woman found on Shelling Hill Beach in Co Louth turned out to be those of mother of ten Mrs McConville.

“I hope this brings closure to her family,” he said.

“I have long thought that the families of these people who were killed and those whose remains were buried have suffered a dreadful injustice.

“I think that the IRA has made genuine efforts to try and bring closure for the families involved.

“I myself met the families – not all of the families – just before the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

“On the back of all of that – because they were obviously focused on trying to get the remains back for burial – there was the review which the IRA has described in its statement.”

The Provisionals’ statement last night said it had reviewed all of the information it had on where the locations were for the burial site of nine missing people from between 1972 and 1981.

The organisation explained: “In initiating that investigation our intention was to do all within our power to redress injustices for which we accept full responsibility and to alleviate the suffering of the families, particularly those families who have been unable to bury or properly mourn their relatives.”

The IRA said, however, that a number of factors had complicated the retrieval of the bodies and their own review.

These included the lapse of time, changes in the leadership of the organisation and the death of some of it’s members and former members.