Report due out on status of IRA

The power-sharing executive at Stormont has not met for months

An independent report on the current state of the IRA is due to be released.

It comes amid growing signs of tension between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists on Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive.

The Independent Monitoring Commission is expected to say that the IRA's ruling army council has remained intact, but poses no threat.

But unionists say political progress is being blocked by the organisation's failure to completely disband.

Peter Robinson, the Democratic Unionist Party leader, has said he will not meet republican demands for the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont until the IRA is finally at an end.

He said: "I don't believe that we are in that position. We require the removal of the IRA's army council and we've always made that clear."

The report into the state of the IRA was commissioned by the British and Irish governments.

The DUP and Sinn Fein leaderships are expected to meet for talks on Thursday.

Political tensions

They are hoping to avoid a major crisis over the future of the power-sharing government and are divided over such issues as the devolution of justice powers, education reform, the future of the Maze prison site and the promotion of the Irish language.

The foundations for power-sharing between the DUP and Sinn Fein were laid at the St Andrews political deal of 2006, and identified May of this year as a target date for the transfer of justice powers.

But the DUP has insisted it will not budge until the circumstances are right. Sinn Fein has threatened to pull its ministers out of the Stormont cabinet if progress is not made soon.

BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson said it is hoped the new report will help ease the current tensions at Stormont, where the power-sharing executive has not met for almost three months.

This is not a political crisis, but it could turn into one, our correspondent added.