Ahern comments - Taoiseach ups the ante on Sinn Féin

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern’s frank admission that he always assumed Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was a member of the IRA represents a dramatic twist in the tortuous relations between Government and the republican movement.

Not mincing his words for a change, Mr Ahern said he would be surprised if Mr Adams had not been a member of the Provisional IRA, especially in view of his prominent role in negotiations involving the republican movement.

For his part, Mr Adams has always denied he was ever a member of the IRA. Reiterating these denials yesterday, he said he was flabbergasted by Mr Ahern’s comments.

Yet, the arguments will continue about Mr Adams’s perceived involvement with militant republicanism. Essentially, Mr Ahern was echoing a question uppermost in many people’s minds when he said that though he did not know what Mr Adams’s current relationship with the IRA was, people would be interested in finding out.

And in a refreshing outburst of straight talking, Mr Ahern remarked: “I always assumed that he was [a member of the IRA]. I think I would be surprised if he wasn’t. He hardly became one of the chief negotiators back at the time of Lenadoon if he hadn’t some fairly close association.”

There is no denying the fact that many people are worried about the close association between Sinn Féin and the IRA. Sinn Féin insists it has no links with the organisation but invariably the party ends up arguing the toss on its behalf. Significantly, Sinn Féin seldom if ever condemns IRA atrocities.

Whether Mr Adams was a member is now irrelevant as far as Mr Ahern is concerned. What concerns him is what is happening now.

In his view Mr Adams and Martin McGuinness have a key role to play in the peace process. No doubt, many will share Mr Ahern’s admiration at their undoubted success in bringing the IRA and the republican movement from violence to “fairly close” to the path of peace and political stability.

Nevertheless, he poses an interesting question as to the current make-up of the IRA army council.

Clearly, the republican movement is coming under intense moral pressure from both the Irish and British governments. The sudden coalescing of the Blair-Ahern axis this week was no accident, though the Government denies a two-step approach.

But it was no coincidence that the line taken by Mr Ahern in Wednesday’s landmark statement echoed Tony Blair’s speech in tone, content and purpose.

It was highly unusual for Mr Ahern to use such unambiguous language in spelling out his belief that the vicious attempted abduction of Bobby Tohill in Belfast by a gang was the work of the Provisional IRA.

Clearly, in both Dublin and London there is increasing intolerance of any action that breaks the ceasefire.

Significantly, Justice Minister Michael McDowell has been leading the Coalition charge, reiterating claims that Sinn Féin is still backed by a private army.

Effectively, Mr McDowell represents something of a Trojan horse, relentlessly attacking Sinn Féin from the Government bunker without exposing Mr Ahern to criticism.

Doubtless, politicking also comes into the Coalition assault on Sinn Féin, which could be a bid to undermine its local election campaign. But the issue of the IRA goes much deeper than that and the public will support Mr Ahern’s move to up the ante on Sinn Féin.