INTELLIGENCE gathered by the Provisional IRA on dissidents is thought to have been passed to the British and Irish governments.

The latest report from the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) says that IRA intelligence gathering is set to continue as long as dissident republican organisations are considered a threat.

The report, published last week, confirms that the IRA has “abandoned its terrorist structures, preparations and capability” but reveals that republicans are still gathering information. This is “not in itself improper if it does not involve illegal methods or intent”, the report adds. “We believe that it is for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of any threat from dissidents.”

Des Dalton, vice-president of Republican Sinn Fein, said that the findings of the IMC report confirm what his organisation forecast would be the role of the IRA movement. “They have became part of the apparatus of British rule in Ireland, acting as an arm of the British intelligence service,” he said.

Dissident republicans have been targeted by an increased number of house raids. “There were reports in the last year that about 60% of MI5’s covert technical operations [involved] dissidents,” Dalton said.

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