IRA council 'has gone away' - DUP

Peter Robinson called on republicans to make public its assurances

Republicans have given private assurances to DUP First Minister Peter Robinson that the IRA army council has permanently gone out of business.

Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister accused his former party of dropping its pledge that policing and justice would not be devolved while it exists.

Mr Robinson told the BBC he wanted republicans to repeat in public what they had told him in private.

The DUP and Sinn Féin reached a deal on Tuesday to break the Stormont deadlock.

"Right at the heart of building confidence within the community will be people's perception of those who are in the assembly," said Mr Robinson.

"It's important that those who are in the leadership of the republican movement make it very clear publicly, as they have done to us privately, that the IRA is out of business for good and is not going to return."

Mr Allister dismissed Mr Robinson's comments.

"How pitiful that the DUP leader has been reduced to peddling republican-friendly spin," he said.

"Even Chamberlain had a piece of paper, all Peter has are 'private assurances' from the republican leadership."