Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 436: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the IRA still exists; if the IRA is a proscribed group by the Government; if his attention has been drawn to the personnel comprising the IRA army council and if he has met persons who are members of the IRA army council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9856/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I take it the Deputy is referring to the Provisional IRA.

PIRA continues to exist and is proscribed pursuant to the provisions of section 18 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939. For many years, certain members of this and previous Governments — myself included — have had meetings with a wide range of people in the context of advancing the peace process. The Deputy will be aware that it would be contrary to long-standing practice to disclose precise details of intelligence information provided to me or the Government by the Garda Síochána.

However, in the case of some of those with whom meetings were held, in that context, there would have been intelligence information suggesting that they held positions of seniority in paramilitary groupings.