so you think political strategy comes from the army council? I think not - Sinn Fein will historically always be linked and members of the IRA will always have influence within a republican political movement - I think its ludicrous to think that an army council is directing Michelle O Neill or Mary Lou
on a fundamental level does an army council really function after such a sustained period of peace - maybe you are confusing it with a Republican leadership that agitate politically
The IRA have been inactive for almost 30 years...that's a truth that has been accepted in the North and former active members like Martin McGuinness were good political leaders - I dont see the ballot box being replaced by the gun any time in my lifetime
surprised that it was even raised as an issue considering the South was relatively untouched by the troubles
In 2015 the PSNI & MI5 said the army council was still active and overseeing Sinn Fein's political strategy, an assessment the Gardai endorsed. There was also an independent assessment prompted by the UK government at that time which came to the same conclusion. I would have to be quite odd to think I know more about the workings of the IRA than the PSNI, MI5, Gardai and an independent assessment combined.
You say the IRA have been inactive in the north for 20 years. Yet the 2015 murder of Kevin McGuigan was attributed to members of the provisional IRA, with the PSNI Chief Constable at that point also stating that the IRA army council was still active. The line between "official" activity and "unofficial" activity within existing IRA structures is extremely thin.
Also, leaving all of that aside, even if elected Sinn Fein officials are just just taking direction from non-violent and non-elected "senior republicans" (as the cash for ash scandal suggested), it's still a problem.
Forgetting any moral qualms this carries, all of this is relevant now in the ROI in relation to a prospective Sinn Fein' government's relationship with the SCC, the Gardai, the UK government and, of course, victims of the IRA who are still alleging that Sinn Fein aren't assisting investigations into their loved ones deaths as they should. These are real and unique problems that other parties don't have, so for them to be dismissed simply as scaremongering is silly.