IRA considers Adams appeal

The IRA said today it was giving “due consideration” to Gerry Adams’s appeal to it to fully embrace politics and abandon the armed struggle.

In a brief statement released to the Press Association under the IRA’s pen name of P O’Neill, the organisation said: “The leadership of the IRA was given notice of the appeal by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

“We have noted his comments.

“The IRA will give his appeal due consideration and will respond in due course.”

Sinn Féin vice-president Pat Doherty refused to be drawn on when the IRA would respond to Mr Adams's statement but stressed there would have to be a debate within the movement

“There will clearly be a debate. This is a huge issue. We did briefings of our own members in broad terms before I came over here,” he told reporters in London.

“Everybody who has lived through the conflict in the North knows the reality of violence the British Army and the unionist death squads. Many republicans and nationalists see the IRA as their defenders.

“There will be a rational intellectual debate but there will be an element of emotion in all of this and it will take time for all of that to work its way through.”

He denied that Mr Adams had made his statement in an attempt to shore up support for Sinn Féin among nationalists following the murder of Robert McCartney ahead of the British general election.

“Sinn Féin is not on the back foot. Sinn Féin is going to make quite substantial gains in this election. We are going to increase our mandate. That is not the issue here. It is about what happens after the elections,” he said.