Pressure on Sinn Féin - Republicans must stop their games

IT is time Government ministers got their act together and began singing from the same hymn sheet regarding membership of the IRA army council.

Despite Justice Minister Michael McDowell's naming of three alleged members Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris the Taoiseach yesterday conceded he has no "hard evidence" of who sits on the IRA's ruling body.

A confused public could be forgiven for asking why Mr Ahern and his Minister are so out of tune. Would it be churlish to suggest they were indulging in by-election politicking? The issue is far too serious for that.

If Mr McDowell has hard evidence, he should disclose it to the Taoiseach and air it publicly. Otherwise, as Britain prepares to impose sanctions on Sinn Féin, the discrepancy will undermine the credibility of Government claims that £3 million sterling (€4.3m) recovered by gardaí in raids on republicans formed part of the 36m Northern Bank haul.

Pressure on Sinn Féin to sever IRA links will no doubt intensify following yesterday's sentencing of five members of an active service unit of the Dublin branch of the organisation.

There could hardly be more telling illustrations of criminal intent than the paraphernalia in their possession, including balaclavas, CS gas canisters, pickaxe handles, a sledgehammer, a 40,000 volt stun-gun, a blue light and fake garda uniforms.

Doubtless, in the Alice In Wonderland language of Sinn Féin, the public will be exhorted to suspend judgement. It would not be surprising to hear claims gardaí had planted the equipment for political motives.

And doubtless, for having the gall to report the case, the media will be accused of engaging in a mass smear campaign against republicans. Whatever the spin, any question of crime will be dismissed because, in Sinn Féin's warped vision, republicans are incapable of crime. This despite a long litany of murders, robberies, punishment beatings, smuggling, intimidation, money laundering, thuggery, gangsterism and criminality of all kinds.

But as he put them behind bars for four years each, Judge Diarmuid O'Donovan said he had no doubt the five men were up to no good, and by that he meant criminal activity.

In the forlorn hope the IRA would exit from the stage, the Irish and British governments have adopted a softly-softly approach towards republican criminality. For a change, the cold winds of reality are now buffeting an organisation which conveniently straddles a realm where people who hold the armalite in one hand and the ballot box in the other can co-exist on two sides of the same coin.

Pressure is now likely to be intensified on that parallel world of crime and politics, especially given yesterday's agreement on cross-border co-operation between An Garda Siochána and the PSNI, the North's police force. It will be increasingly difficult for republicans to find hiding places in future.

In a further dramatic development, former trade union leader and prominent banker Phil Flynn, self-described as an "unrepentant republican", has admitted meeting both a senior official of the Bulgarian Department of Finance and a significant banking figure when he accompanied money lender Ted Cunningham, in whose home £2.3m has been found by gardaí.

Serious questions are hanging over Mr Flynn amid speculation that republicans were in contact with East European crime syndicates and had planned to buy a bank there, possibly for money laundering purposes.

While he denies any wrong-doing, as a public figure there is an onus on Phil Flynn to clear the air about the Bulgarian connection.