Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“That a security assessment in the summer showed the assessment of the PIRA remained unchanged since 2015 should come as no surprise. Nothing of substance was done five years ago or since so why would Republicans not carry on as they had up until that date?
“It is nonetheless important to underscore the shocking nature of the fact that we have, at the heart of government in Northern Ireland, a party which is overseen by the PIRA Army Council. That is a PIRA which retains “departments” with specific responsibilities and still has weapons which have not been decommissioned.
“For much of this week we have listened to members of Sinn Fein call for truth from the UK Government. Just yesterday the SDLP, Alliance and the Greens added their names to a joint letter with the leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland calling for a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. Where is there demand today for Sinn Fein to finally tell the truth about the Provisional movement? What do they think the many innocent victims of the IRA – who unlike the Finucane family have never had opportunity to turn down a public inquiry or see anyone put behind bars for the murder of their loved ones – make of this stance?
“What of Unionists who once told the electorate that they would only consider power sharing with Sinn Fein/IRA once all terrorist structures were gone?
“The current arrangements are totally immoral and need to be consigned to history. No true democrat can sit in government with those controlled by an Army Council.
“Once again we have been starkly reminded of the moral bankruptcy of political process in Northern Ireland. As the Storey funeral illustrated very graphically Sinn Fein and the IRA are two sides of the same coin. The reaction to what was broadcast last night, or rather the lack thereof, shows that regardless of what the IRA do the current Unionist leadership will sustain them in government.”
Mr Allister has also written to the Independent Reporting Commission asking if they were aware of the report which Spotlight revealed last night and if so why they failed to mention it in their report published last month.