Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Today’s report could not be clearer. Not only is the Army Council still in place. It oversees Sinn Fein strategy. To quote directly: “PIRA members believe that the Provisional Army Council oversees both the PIRA and Sinn Fein with an overarching strategy.”
“The 2007 DUP manifesto – the one just before they went into government with Sinn Fein – stated: “All paramilitary and criminal activity and terrorist structures must be abandoned before Sinn Fein is admitted to Government.”
“That promise was abandoned but a year later Jeffery Donaldson said “For policing and justice devolution to occur there has to be sufficient confidence in the unionist community and one of those elements is removing the IRA from the stage.” (see here).
“Similarly Peter Robinson claimed that before policing and justice could be devolved the DUP “require the removal of the IRA’s army council and we’ve always made that clear.” (see here).
“Now we know, thanks to a report the DUP requested, that not only does the IRA Army Council exist but it continues to “oversee” Sinn Fein/IRA strategy.
“The question now is will the DUP continue to sustain them in government?”