The IRA has effectively disbanded as an underground army and no longer meets for any terrorist purposes, an independent body found today.
However, the International Monitoring Commission (IMC) report says the Provisionals' ruling body, the army council, has not dissolved – a key unionist demand.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and government ministers talked up the positive messages contained in the latest IMC report (PDF). They stressed the inactivity of the IRA and the fact that there appears to be no sign of fresh recruitment, intelligence gathering or other potential terrorist operations from within the republican movement.
Today's NIO and ministerial briefings reinforced the message yesterday of Northern Ireland's chief constable, Sir Hugh Orde. The head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland told a delegation of Democratic Unionist politicians that whilst the IRA army council still exists it no longer meets to map out paramilitary campaigns, activities or strategies.
Peter Robinson, Northern Ireland's first minister, has made disbanding the army council a condition for the last step in devolution – the transfer of policing and justice powers from London to the Stormont assembly.
Robinson repeated his determination yesterday that the army council must dissolve before those powers are handed over. Although he accepted Orde's advice that the IRA ruling seven-man council was no longer meeting for terrorist purposes, Robinson said: "We require the removal of the IRA's army council and we've always made that clear." The first minister said such a move would build confidence within the community and acceptance that in the future a Sinn Fein minister might exercise some control over security matters.
A Sinn Fein source warned yesterday against Robinson setting the issue down as an absolute condition. 'He would be very silly if he did," the source said.
Sinn Fein has said publicly that it might pull out of power sharing if policing and justice powers are not transferred.