Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said ahead of his party ardfheis in Dublin tonight that his ambition is to see the IRA ceasing to exist. He said republicans were prepared to "stretch" themselves to end the political deadlock.
Mr Adams said he had made that point very clear recently in south Armagh and in Tyrone at commemorations of IRA members. "The effort and the intention of the Sinn Féin leadership is to create the conditions in which the IRA will cease to be," he said last night.
"If you are asking me do you think we will be successful in collectively bringing that about, my answer is Yes," added Mr Adams.
Following his statement about the Robert McCartney murder last night, he said he would be dealing with that issue in a "very firm and upfront" way in his keynote ardfheis speech tomorrow. He added that the big issue at the ardfheis was the peace process and making it work.
Despite the upheaval over the Robert McCartney murder, the Northern Bank robbery and alleged IRA money-laundering, Mr Adams said, a way forward could be found.
"Of course, a way can be plotted or steered to take the process out of the current difficulties," he told The Irish Times.
"If you are asking me is that down to me on my own then the answer is No.
"If you are asking me can we make a bigger contribution than anybody else on the basis that we want more change than anybody else then, yes, we would be prepared to stretch ourselves," added Mr Adams.
In this its 100th anniversary Sinn Féin is staging one of its biggest ever ardfheiseanna, with 2,600 members applying for accreditation. Mr Adams would not say whether there would be any dramatic statement in his main speech that would propel the process out of its current rut but added that after the conference "open-minded people will have some sense that Sinn Féin's determination to make this process work is unyielding".
Mr Adams took some encouragement from the recent comment of the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, that he would share power with Sinn Féin if the IRA verifiably decommissioned and ended all activity.
"I have always been of the view that Sinn Féin and the DUP will end up in government together," he said, adding: "I am up for doing the business with Ian Paisley."
Gerry Adams statement: full text
I am deeply angry about the alleged involvement of a number of republicans in the killing of Robert McCartney.
I believe that I am speaking for the broad republican constituency in publicly articulating my outrage and anger at what has happened.
All of those involved in this horrific incident must make themselves fully accountable for their actions. Nothing short of this is acceptable.
I have made clear my support for the family in their search for justice and have called upon those involved in the killing and others with information about the killing to bring this information forward.
As part of these efforts to assist in the search for truth and justice I met the family of Robert McCartney a number of times.
At a meeting on Thursday 24th February the family gave me a list of people who they allege were involved.
As party president I immediately instructed the leadership of Sinn Féin in Belfast to establish if any of those named by the family were members of Sinn Féin.
I was informed that seven of those named are members of Sinn Féin. All were immediately suspended from the party. This is on a without-prejudice basis.
As a political party Sinn Féin is not in a position to carry out an investigation which would adequately establish the facts surrounding the killing of Robert McCartney, but those named by the family are suspended from membership and from any involvement in Sinn Féin activity pending the outcome of the legal process.
If any of these seven are found to have been involved in the events surrounding the death of Robert McCartney, or if they do not provide truthful accounts at this time as the McCartney family have requested, Sinn Féin
will take further internal disciplinary action to expel these individuals.
All of these people have been personally instructed to provide full and frank statements. I reiterate that anyone with any information should make this available to the courts.° I have given this statement to the family and to a solicitor.
Although I stress that Sinn Féin has no basis to make any allegations against any of these suspended members at this time - and some or all may be innocent of any offence - I have instructed the solicitor to pass the names given to me by the McCartney family to the Police Ombudsman.
