Sinn Féin call on IRA to decommission

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has delivered a “significant speech” in the wake of growing speculation over IRA disarmament.

At a press conference in Conway Mills in West Belfast Mr Adams, in what appears to be a first for Sinn Féin, publicly appealed to the IRA to make a “groundbreaking move” on decommissioning in order to save the institutions from collapsing.

He said: “Martin McGuinness and I have held discussions with the IRA and we have put it to the leadership of the IRA the view that if it could make a ground breaking move on decommissioning that it could save the peace process from collapse and transform the situation.”

He added that although this may pose problems for the IRA leadership it was time for all to remain strong and faithful.

However DUP leader Reverend Ian Paisley dismissed Mr Adams comments as not significant and said although groundbreaking moves were mentioned there was no detail on what this involved.

UUP former minister Michael McGimpsey said Mr Adams statement contained: “promising phrases”, but added: “So far these are just words we want to see action. It may herald further developments. It is better to wait and show some patience and see what the next step is.”

Mr Adams’ speech comes at a crucial juncture prior to the the imminent collapse of the power-sharing executive over the absence of IRA decommissioning. On Monday afternoon the Democratic Unionist Party walked out of the Assembly.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Adams admitted one of three Irishmen detained in Colombia was Sinn Fein's representative in Cuba. Sinn Fein has previously denied a party link.

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid issued an appeal to republican and loyalist groups to put their arms beyond use, to move the province into a new era. Speaking at Society of Editors Dr Reid said: “I want to say to the paramilitaries: If you are able to do what the people of Northern Ireland want so desperately - to put arms beyond use and to take politics on to a new plane - then I believe you will not find the response from this government, from the Irish Government, the American administration and the whole international community to be grudging or ungenerous.”

Dr Reid had a meeting with the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams on Monday morning. This followed a 30-minute discussion between Mr Adams and the UUP leader David Trimble.

The power-sharing executive at Stormont faces collapse following the withdrawal of five Ulster Unionist and Democratic Unionist ministers last week. The Stormont assembly will collapse at midnight on Thursday if the unionist ministers fail to return. (AMcE)