IRA statement - Murder offer alarmingly out of touch

The latest statement issued by the IRA must rank as one of the most extraordinary ever. It is a frightening exhibition of just how out of touch the organisation is with the constitutional process and the fundamentals of the judicial system.

Since the Northern Bank raid, Sinn Féin had been calling for due process, protesting that neither the party nor the IRA was behind the robbery and demanding that they should be considered innocent until proved guilty in court.

Now the IRA has announced that during a five-hour meeting with Robert McCartney’s partner and sisters, it offered the shoot those responsible for his murder, but this murderous offer was rejected by the family.