IRA committed to peace says Adams

The IRA remains on ceasefire and is committed to the peace process, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has said.

He was speaking following the discovery of personal details of a range of people on IRA intelligence files.

The Democratic Unionist Party said it proved the organisation was still active.

The prime minister promised that if there was even an inkling of a return to violence he would slam them all back in jail again

Sammy Wilson DUP

However, speaking on Thursday at the launch of a book commemorating republicans killed during the Troubles, Mr Adams attacked what he called "repackaged stories" from the media and said he found them "bewildering".

"It is my firm view that the IRA remains disciplined, remains on cessation and remains committed to the peace process," he said.

Gerry Adams: IRA committed to peace process

"This is at a time when all of the loyalist organisations are off their cessations - all of them are off their cessations."

In the latest discovery, information was found on a computer seized by the police in searches of republican areas after the break-in at the Castlereagh police complex on 17 March.

Police have warned legal figures, forensic officers and loyalists that their details have been found on the files.

Conservative politicians

DUP assembly member Sammy Wilson said the situation created problems for both the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the pro-Agreement parties.

"It causes problems for those parties sharing power with the political representatives of the IRA," he said.

"What are they going to do? Are they going to continue doing that?"

Several weeks ago, detectives discovered a list of senior Conservative politicians on the same computer.

As their minute examination of the computer's memory disk went deeper, police experts found a list of more than 200 names covering the security forces, the judiciary, forensic scientists, politicians and loyalists.

Alban Maginness: "We must study the overall situation"

Allegations of IRA involvement in the Castlereagh break-in and with Colombian guerillas - while it is supposed to be on ceasefire - have put enormous strains on the political process in Northern Ireland.

Security sources have described the latest find as highly significant.

However, SDLP assembly member Alban Maginness said it was too early to jump to conclusions.

The information was collected over a long period of time. Much of it is old but some material has been updated - the retirement date of one of Northern Ireland's most senior detectives was logged.

He only left the police service last year.

Sources say the word "target" was typed against some names.

A republican prisoner, who was released early under the Good Friday Agreement, is facing charges of having information likely to be useful to terrorists.

He was taken from Maghaberry jail and re-interviewed by detectives at Lisburn police station after the latest discovery of information.