As chairman of the NI Executive sub-committee Assembly Committee inquiring into the devolution of policing and justice matters the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson’s restatement of the party’s call for the removal of the Provisional IRA’s Army Council, and linking it to the devolving of policing and justice, is worth noting. But equally, if not more, significant is what he has said the Chief Constable Hugh Orde had to say about the killing of Paul Quinn.
Mr Donaldson said Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde told them that while there was “no indication” it was authorised by the IRA leadership there were “IRA members involved”.
And the NI Regional Development Minister has been given “very solid assurances” that the IRA were not involved.. if you believe it, that is.. But, if there are suspects, and there would need to be for the Chief Constable to have such an opinion, where are the arrests?
Adds Apparently Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey is still ‘thoroughly baffled’.. despite the recent statements by the Secretary of State. Déjà vu, indeed.The official DUP statement also reiterates a variation of the ‘corporate responsibility’ line
“The brutal murder of Paul Quinn was also discussed. We made it clear that we require the full disclosure of all information regarding this evil act to be made available to us. There can be no attempt to pretend this issue doesn’t matter. It does. The DUP will not accept a situation whereby those responsible for or linked to murder hold places in the government of Northern Ireland. We await the outcome of the police investigation but people should be under no illusions as to the seriousness of the situation. If it is shown that the Provisional IRA authorised and executed the murder of Paul Quinn there will be serious repercussions.”
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