At a Garda passing out ceremony for 200 new members of the force in the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary, on Friday Mr Harris confirmed the Garda’s view of the relationship between the Provisional Army Council, the IRA and Sinn Féin was the same as the PSNI.
“I am aware of the PSNI and British security service’s assessment and we do not differ from that view,” said Mr Harris.
In a 2015 report commissioned by the British government on the status of Irish terrorist groups, and which was written by the PSNI and MI5, it was stated the Provisional Army Council still existed, as did the Provisional IRA (PIRA), though in a smaller form and committed to the peace process.
The report further stated that the Provisional Army Council still strategically oversaw both the IRA and Sinn Féin.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris ‘In the end I’m a public servant.’
Taoiseach’s call
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called on the Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald to publicly state if her party has cut links with the IRA Provisional Army Council.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said he agrees with a PSNI assessment that Sinn Féin and the IRA are overseen by a Provisional Army Council.
Cannot but help think that this line is being trotted out as a smear now that Sinn Fein have Become the largest party with the biggest share of the First preference votes.
Indeed, had Sinn Fein fielded more candidates they would have done even better.
With violence renounced two decades ago what better time to rain on Sinn Fein’s Electoral success than to raise the spectre of the provos from a bygone age. The British ( and Irish ) establishment would never do that.