An Ulster Unionist peer last night used the protection of parliamentary privilege to name the men he believes were behind the murder of a young man from South Armagh last month.

Lord Laird of Artigarvan blamed former and present members of the Provisional IRA for the death of Paul Quinn, 21, after the independent body that monitors paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland accused the terrorist group of involvement.

The fate of the Stormont power-sharing deal between Sinn Fein, the Provisional IRA’s political wing, and Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionist Party depends upon the outcome of the police murder investigation.

Mr Quinn was taken across the border to isolated farm buildings where up to 15 men spent more than an hour attempting to break every bone in his body.

The International Monitoring Commission said the murder was the result of a “local dispute” and added that it was too early to say if the killing had been authorised by the IRA leadership. Sinn Fein insists that no republican was involved.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has made no comment, while Sinn Fein has denied that republicans were involved. The Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionist Party has said that it is too early to say who was responsible.

John Grieve, from the commission, said: “Despite the fact that we are saying it is a local dispute, we do believe that those who were involved in the attack on him — in his brutal murder — included people who are members or former members or have associations with members or former members of the Provisional IRA.”

In the House of Lords last night Lord Laird said that the murder was the result of a dispute between Mr Quinn and a son of Vincent Traynor, “a local IRA chief”.

Mr Quinn and some other youths from the area had been “involved in activities which did not go down with the senior republican leadership in South Armagh”. Lord Laird added that “this new breed of republicans were defying the leadership”.

He said: “It is now quite clear that Vincent had oversold the case against Paul. Several weeks ago, Traynor asked the republican leadership, which included Peter and Patrick Quinn — no relations — who ran most of the illegal fuel-laundering plants in South Armagh for the IRA, to have Quinn executed.”

Lord Laird said: “After consulting with P. J. Caraher and his son Michael, who is a well known murderous sniper, Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy, the Provisionals’ commander in the area, Sean Gerard Hughes, known as The Surgeon, and James McArdle, permission for the execution was given.” He told peers: “Almost 20 republicans were present at the murder, as executioners, lookouts, drivers etc. Eight or nine who conducted the execution were dressed in boilersuits and wore surgical gloves. All were IRA or former IRA members.”

The peer went on: “It took almost half an hour for Paul to die. Every major bone in his body was broken. During the execution, he cried for mercy.”

Lord Laird commented: “Dark clouds still remain not too far from the centre of political life in Northern Ireland. Terrorism of all types has not gone away, even if it has been much reduced.”

Lord Laird went on: “Having felt they had to blame someone, on Friday 9 November six armed IRA men went to the home of Vincent Traynor. They forced their way in, but Vincent was not there.”

Mr Traynor was under police protection and was “now considered to be the number one on the IRA hit list”.

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