THE Northern Ireland peace process ran into a fresh problem last night as the IRA withdrew co-operation on disarmament.

Days after Sinn Fein was told by Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern that the IRA’s involvement in the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery had prevented progress on a return to power sharing, the organisation said that its scheme to put all its weapons completely and verifiably beyond use was no longer on the table, claiming that the British and Irish Governments were no longer honouring their commitments.

In a lengthy statement, which did not surprise Lon- don or Dublin, it denied that it was an obstacle to a lasting settlement.

It said: “We do not intend to remain quiescent within this unacceptable and unstable situation. It has tried our patience to the limit. Consequently, on reassessment of our position, and in response to the Governments and others withdrawing their commitments, we are taking all our proposals off the table.”

The IRA has denied that it was involved in the robbery but claims by police chiefs on both sides of the Irish border that it was — as well as allegations by Mr Ahern that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein leaders, were aware of the planning of the raid — have ruled out any lingering hope of the peace process getting speedily back on track.

Last night’s statement did not, however, carry a threat of a return to full-scale violence.

It said: “The IRA has demonstrated our commitment to the peace process again and again.

“We are prepared, as part of a genuine and collective effort, to do so again if and when the conditions are created for this.”

A Downing Street spokesman said that the statement was not surprising. “The fact remains that it was the IRA that did carry out the Northern Bank robbery and, as the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach said yesterday, therefore it is the IRA that is the sole obstacle to moving forward,” he said.

The Irish Government refused to make any official comment on the IRA statement. A spokesman said: “Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has made his position clear on the matter.”

Mr Adams, the Sinn Fein president, said last night: “The IRA statement is obviously a direct consequence of the retrograde stance of the two Governments. It is evidence of a deepening crisis and I regret that. The two Governments have opted for confrontation. They are engaging in the sterile politics of the blame game without any regard for the consequences.”

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