Adams defends call to IRA as 'serious effort'

Gerry Adams has said his call last week for the IRA to abandon violence and commit itself to political and democratic means is a serious effort to put the Belfast Agreement back on track.

He said that despite their "public scepticism" over his call to the IRA last week, unionist parties understand it as a "serious effort to create conditions to put the Good Friday Agreement back on the tracks again".

In an address this morning to the Derry Chamber of Commerce, Mr Adams said he was looking for the "widest possible support" and called for a debate within the nationalist and republican community on the future of the "struggle".

He said that he, and others in the Sinn Féin leadership "intend to use whatever influence we have to bring other republicans along the road".

Mr Adams called on unionist leaders to play "a more constructive role than some have thus far" and said there was a need to "ensure that the Orange marching season is peaceful".

The IRA acknowledged last Wednesday's appeal to it by Mr Adams and said it would consider the Sinn Féin president's appeal and respond in full in time.

Mr Adams insisted last week that the initiative was not linked to the May 5th Westminster election, adding that neither the election nor the Pope's death had been announced before he decided to act.