IRA will not police areas: Adams

Mr Adams said the IRA will not deal with crime in nationalist areas

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has said the IRA will not return to "dealing with criminality" in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams was speaking to party members ahead of a meeting with Security Minister Paul Goggins.

He said after recent murders in west Belfast "I heard some people say that they want the IRA back to deal with anti-social behaviour and criminality.

"Well, let's get real. That's not going to happen," he said.

"The IRA made its position very clear when it instructed its volunteers to assist the development of purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means.

"And this is what activists who were in the IRA are now doing."

Between last September and March of this year, three men - Harry Holland, John Mongan and Frank McGreevy - have been killed in violent attacks in Mr Adams' West Belfast constituency.

Following Mr McGreevy's murder, Mr Adams criticised the police response to anti-social behaviour.

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said the criticism was unfair and unjustified.

Harry Holland was stabbed to death last September

On Tuesday, Mr Adams said it was understandable that people were angry about crime in their areas, but it was something the whole community had to help resolve.

"Of course, no police service is perfect," he said.

"And constructing a police service, which reaches the high standards we have set, is difficult given the legacy of bad state policing under unionist and then British control.

"But we knew that. It is a big job of work.

"But already republican efforts have achieved significant changes and improvements."