Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams says IRA 'has gone away'

Gerry Adams said the IRA was undefeated when it called an end to its armed campaign in 2005

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said there is no reason for armed republican groups to exist as the movement is committed to peace.

And he said individuals involved in the recent murders of ex-IRA men Gerard 'Jock' Davison and Kevin McGuigan Sr "do not represent republicanism".

He added: "They are not the IRA. The IRA has gone away, you know."

Mr Adams was speaking at the National Hunger Strike commemoration in the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Chief Constable George Hamilton said the Provisional IRA is still in existence and that some members were involved in the murder of Mr McGuigan Sr in Belfast last week.

But Mr Adams said that was not the case.

Rationale

He told supporters at the event in Dundalk that the IRA was "undefeated" when it "took the momentous step" to end its armed campaign in 2005.

"None of the many alphabet groups that now claim the proud name of the Irish Republican Army have a right to that title," Mr Adams said.

How the IRA announced the end of its campaign

On 28 July 2005, the IRA said it had formally ordered an end to the armed campaign from 4pm that day.

Its statement said: "The leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign.

"All IRA units have been ordered to dump arms.

"All volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means."

Two months later came a verification statement from the independent arms decommissioning body that in its view the IRA had put all of its weapons beyond use.

"As we approach the centenary of 1916 there is no need, rationale, or reason for any armed groups whatsoever.

"It's time they called an end to their sham campaigns."

He also used the event to criticise unionist politicians who he said have "opportunistically and cynically" seized on the killings of Mr Davison and Mr McGuigan Sr to attack his party.

He accused them of engaging in a "sham fight" to slow down the "necessary process of change".

Robustly

First Minister Peter Robinson had said he would discuss the prospect of excluding Sinn Féin from the executive with other Northern Ireland parties.

Mr Adams said: "Those who threaten to take action against Sinn Féin in the political institutions have no basis whatsoever for this.

"Sinn Féin's mandate and the rights and entitlements of our electorate deserve exactly the same respect and protection as anyone else's.

"And Sinn Féin will defend that assertively and robustly."

He added: "We will not be lectured to by those who have failed to honour their obligations time and again."

Meanwhile, a minister in the Irish government has said it must remain "very cautious" when responding to the PSNI chief constable's comments on the Provisional IRA.

Minister for Defence Simon Coveney said the Irish government did not want to add to a "difficult situation" as the PSNI continued its probe into Mr McGuigan Sr's murder.