Ahern hoping for IRA statement ‘before August’
Irish premier Bertie Ahern is hopeful that the IRA will issue a statement on its future before August.
Mr Ahern told the Irish parliament that he had no definitive date, but expected it to be before the August bank holiday weekend in the Republic of Ireland.
The IRA has been undertaking an internal audit after Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams called on the terrorist group to pursue the goal of a united Ireland by peaceful, political means.
Speaking in the Dail last night, Mr Ahern said: “We would expect to hear in the weeks immediately ahead before the holiday break in August. That is what we believe but we don’t have any definite information.”
On what to expect from the IRA, Mr Ahern said: “The fact that they’re debating the issue is itself a good thing and hopefully we’ll get the right answer from them.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain began a four-day visit to New York and Washington on Tuesday to outline to leading Irish American figures the progress being made.
And on Monday, Tony Blair and the Irish Taoiseach met to discuss the possibility of renewing power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
Mr Blair called for a “credible” pledge to end all criminality.
Such a pledge would press an “obligation” on the DUP to accept power-sharing, he argued.
DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley has flatly refused to share power with Sinn Fein unless the IRA “walk the walk”.
Any IRA statement pledging to renounce violence was insufficient in itself to convince unionist parties to share power with Sinn Fein, he said.
