Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, has said that Sinn Fein need to get real about the existence of the IRA if there is to be any agreement about dealing with the scourge of paramilitarism.

Mr Nesbitt said:

"Today's talks were like the episode of Fawlty Towers where everyone is told 'don't mention the war'. Three times I attempted to bring up the issue of the existence of the IRA Army Council. The first time I was admonished for doing so and on the other two occasions I was just ignored. There was not a meaningful discussion about the fact that the report says that the IRA exists. Nobody wanted to address that, particularly not the Irish Government.

"There is a once in a lifetime opportunity to finally to rid this country, and this island, of the toxin of paramilitarism, but that can only happen if everyone is going to get real. And that means Sinn Fein getting real about the IRA. How can you possibly agree a strategy for addressing paramilitarism if Sinn Fein continue to deny the existence of the IRA and ignore the fact that the panel report states the Army Council of the IRA oversees 'Sinn Fein with an overarching strategy'? It's just not credible.

"We can't sign up to a declaration or an action plan unless everyone agrees who we are dealing with here. Otherwise, any agreement would be built on a lie. We will not be signing up to an agreement built on a lie - built on the single transferable speech of denial which Sinn Fein have trotted out for decades now about the IRA. The panel report underlines our position.

“The prize is massive – the end of paramilitary control of communities, the end of millions being sucked out of the economy and the end of international reputational damage.”