Paisley makes IRA accusations

Ian Paisley: Made allegations under parliamentary privilege

The Democratic Unionist Party leader has used a House of Commons debate to highlight newspaper claims that three Sinn Fein assembly members are senior IRA men.

During Northern Ireland Question-Time in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Ian Paisley asked Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid about weekend newspaper claims that Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Pat Doherty were IRA members.

Mr Paisley said Mr Adams, the Sinn Fein president and West Belfast MP, Mr McGuinness who is Mid Ulster MP and Mr Doherty, the party's vice chairman, were members of the IRA's inner council.

"Is he not alarmed that three MLAs Martin McGuinness, Gerard Adams and Patrick Doherty are mentioned as members of the inner council of the IRA?

Sinn Fein leader was subject of Paisley accusation

"And Mr Adams has confirmed that he is talking to Downing Street every day."

In response, Dr Reid told the Commons that he did not comment on newspaper reports, leaked documents or intelligence reports.

He said he believed Mr Paisley's remarks were based on all of these.

There was controversy when Mr Paisley used parliamentary privilege on another occasion in January 1999, to name a dozen people he said were IRA members who carried out the Kingsmill murders of 10 Protestant workmen in south Armagh in 1976.

Also in the Commons, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said he was concerned about animal smuggling in the border area.

Both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic's single foot-and-mouth outbreaks are situated in the border counties Armagh and Louth.

It is suspected that both outbreaks happened as the result of the distribution of a consignment of sheep imported from Britain, where outbreaks are widespread.

Northern Ireland Security Minister Adam Ingram said a climate of fear and intimidation made it difficult to bring those responsible for trading sheep illegally after movement restrictions were put in place, to justice.

Earlier, there were sharp exchanges on the unionist benches between the DUP and the UUP as Ian Paisley and his colleagues mocked North Belfast MP Cecil Walker as he asked a question at Northern Ireland Question-Time for the first time in recent years.

Mr Walker expressed concern about recent violence in north Belfast.

He said reforms to the RUC being carried out under the Patten recommendations had affected moral and that absenteeism was affecting the force's operations.