Adams responds to IRA statement

In an initial response to Wednesday night's IRA statement, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams told An Phoblacht:

"The IRA statement is obviously a direct conseqence of the retrograde stance of the two governments. It is evidence of a deepening crisis and I regret that very much.

The two governments have opted for confrontation. They are engaging in the sterile politics of the blame game without any regard for the consequences. This negative approach has effectively scuttled the enormous work done in persuading the IRA to undertake the unprecedented initiatives which they publicly outlined in December.

"All of this good work has now been undermined."