The ira is gone caolin

“Let me be clear, the IRA is gone. It no longer exists,” Deputy Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin told The Anglo-Celt yesterday (Tuesday).
He was responding to comments by PSNI chief constable George Hamilton, who said at the weekend that “some Provisional IRA organisational infrastructure continues to exist”.

The debate had again flared up following the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan.
“Sinn Féin supports the PSNI in their investigation into these killings and anyone involved must be brought to justice. 
“With an election looming, it is no surprise that other parties have attacked Sinn Féin. This is highly cynical and wholly self-serving,” said Deputy Ó Caoláin.
“Sinn Féin will continue to represent our voters, continue to defend the Peace Process and continue to build a fair recovery with fundamental change, North and South. We will not allow criminal gangs or other political parties to deflect us from that work,” he said.

However, the mother of a man murdered in a shed in Co Monaghan has said that the IRA has not gone away.

Paul Quinn (aged 21) from Cullyhanna, Co Armagh, was held hostage and beaten to death by a group of men on a remote farm outside Castleblayney in 2007.

His family believe the IRA killed him - a claim denied by Republicans.

Breege Quinn told Northern Sound News that she believes the IRA still exist.

“They’re still out there,” she said.

“They mightn’t be shooting and bombing the police and the soldiers, but they’re still out controlling the people, which they always did.”

The UK’s Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said that a police assessment that the Provisional IRA does still exists did not come as a surprise to the British government, reports Breakingnews.ie.

The website says Ms Villiers is of the view shared by the North’s police chief that some structures of the organisation remain in place but it is not engaged in terrorist activity.

Asked at the weekend about the status of the PIRA, given the suspected connection to the shooting of 53-year-old Kevin McGuigan, PSNI chief constable George Hamilton said it still exists, but is not on a terror footing.

Reacting to Mr Hamilton’s view, Ms Villiers said: “It didn’t come as a surprise to me.

“My understanding is, very much in line with that of the chief constable, that a number of the organisational structures of the Provisional IRA still exist but that there is no evidence it’s involved in terrorism or paramilitary activity.”