Government orders new report on IRA

“Will he apologise for the fact that people who the Provisional IRA trained to kill may be continuing to do so in whatever capacity? And will he explain what parts of smuggling and money laundering ever honoured the legacy of 1916?” she added.

In response, Sinn Fein accused the justice minister of abusing her position by casting a “political smear” on the party and Mr Adams, who has repeatedly denied ever being a member of the IRA.

As part of the assessment the gardai will re-examine intelligence on the IRA and work with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to investigate whether there is any new evidence to connect members of the organisation with serious crimes. It is understood that the justice minister expects the review to be a short process. Department officials said she would seek delivery of a report within a few weeks.

There is ongoing speculation that IRA members may been involved in the murder of Kevin McGuigan, a former member of the organisation, in the Short Strand area of Belfast last month, and that the killing of McGuigan was in retaliation for the murder of Gerard “Jock” Davison, a former IRA commander, in May. It is understood that McGuigan had fallen out with other members but had denied that he was involved in Mr Davison’s killing.

Mr Adams said those involved in the murders did not “represent republicanism”.

George Hamilton, the chief constable of the PSNI, said the Provisional IRA was no longer engaged in terrorism, but that the force was investigating whether the murder of Mr McGuigan was carried out by past or present members.

Ms Fitzgerald said that any ongoing appraisal of the Provisional IRA had to be kept under review “in the light of the emergence of any evidence in the current PSNI investigation”. She said this was why she had asked gardai to carry out a fresh assessment of the organisation.

She said there was no doubt that people who had been associated with the Provisional IRA had been involved in the most serious crimes.

Ms Fitzgerald’s initial response on Sunday to the alleged involvement of Provisional IRA members in McGuigan’s murder was criticised as being too cautious. In contrast, Joan Burton, the tanaiste and Labour Party leader, hit out at Sinn Fein and Mr Adams, saying it was not good enough for the party to deny all knowledge of Provisional IRA criminality.

Defending her reaction, Ms Fitzgerald said the political situation was delicate and that she feared her intervention would have repercussions in the Northern Ireland Assembly, where unionists threatened to attempt to eject Sinn Fein from the power-sharing agreement.

“Words matter in Northern Ireland”, she said yesterday.

“Whatever the immediate political pressures, I know that as justice minister whatever assessments I make can have profound implications and could affect what the parties in the North do. This is a time for cool heads and measured judgements.”

Brian Stanley, the Sinn Fein TD, said he believed Ms Fitzgerald could have breached the code of conduct for office holders.

“Sinn Fein does not benefit from any form of criminality. The minister’s attempt to make allegations in the form of questions is a cheap, electorally motivated stunt that undermines her role as justice minister.

“If she has any information or suspicion of illegal activity it is her duty to bring it to the gardai instead of casting political smears. The minister must either back up her assertions or retract them,” he said.