Sinn Féin News, February 21, 2005
Sinn Féin rejects McDowell's IRA claim
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted today that he does not know who's on the IRA
Army Council. "I don't have intelligence reports on it. I do not have hard
evidence," he said.
His statement came in response to comments from Irish Justice Minister
Michael McDowell on Sunday when he claimed Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams, Martin
McGuinness and North Kerry TD Martin Ferris are members of the IRA's Army
Council.
Sinn Féin rejected Mr McDowell's claims and said they were
politically-motivated to hit party support in the upcoming Meath by-election.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness , and Martin Ferris
issued a joint statement in Dublin this today saying: "Sinn Féin is totally
committed to the peace process and to engaging with the Irish government in
these difficult times to find a way forward.
Despite our anger at attempts to criminalise our party and its supporters we
have been measured in our comments. We have asked others to do likewise as
we are conscious that a protracted war of words among Irish nationalists is
deeply damaging to the overall process.
However given the seriousness of Michael McDowell's outburst on the national
airwaves on Sunday we have taken the unusual step of issuing a joint
statement in response.
We want to state categorically that we are not members of the IRA or its
Army Council. Our involvement in the peace process is as leaders of Sinn
Féin and as elected representatives for West Belfast, Mid Ulster and Kerry
North respectively. As part of this, in the past we have met with the Army
Council to put propositions regarding the peace process.
Sinn Féin's contribution to this process has been substantial and we will
continue to play our part.
For some time now Michael McDowell has been unable to distinguish between
his role as Justice Minister and President of the Progressive Democrats. He
has made countless unsubstantiated allegations against our party and its
leadership.
Recently the Irish government accused Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams of
withholding information and of conspiring to rob the Northern Bank in
December. We challenged the government to stand this accusation up and they
failed to do so.
And then at the weekend Michael McDowell made his unfounded and serious
allegation that we -Martin McGuinness, Martin Ferris and Gerry Adams - are
members of the IRA Army Council.
For Minister McDowell to do this is an abuse of his office.
"If his view is shared by the Gardaí then the only way this issue can be
confronted is for us to be charged with IRA membership"
