Unionists warn over IRA army council

The continued existence of the IRA’s ruling army council poses a major block to political progress in the North, unionists warned today.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Peter Robinson warned that plans to devolve policing and justice powers to Stormont would be blocked until IRA structures were removed.

Speaking after meeting Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde, Mr Robinson said he was told the army council remained in place but was not involved in terrorist activity.

The DUP leader said his party had always demanded a final end to the IRA as the price for further political progress.

But he said: “I don’t believe that we are in that position.

“I accept what the Chief Constable says that they (the army council) are not meeting for any terrorist purpose.

“But we require the removal of the IRA’s army council and we’ve always made that clear.”

The Independent Monitoring Commission, which studies the activities of paramilitary groupings, has compiled a report on the IRA’s structures, which is due to be made public tomorrow.

This comes as the DUP and Sinn Féin are poised to hold talks on the future of the Northern Ireland Executive, with divisions over the transfer of justice powers a key stumbling block.