Gardai have made their first arrests of suspected members of the newly-formed republican paramilitary group styling itself "Oglaigh na hEireann".
The group is an amalgamation of the "Real IRA" which carried out the Omagh bombing and the tiny Continuity IRA which was the paramilitary wing of the splinter political party, Republican Sinn Fein.
Continuity IRA broke away from its political organisation and has recently integrated with the group responsible for the Omagh bombing, according to senior Garda sources.
Gardai discovered it was recruiting young members and building up what appears to be an organisation run on military lines.
It is believed the group intends establishing itself as a replacement for the Provisional IRA. It is also the intention of the leadership to disrupt the negotiations under Senator George Mitchell at Stormont.
Yesterday the Garda Special Branch arrested five men and a woman, all in their 20s, in Cos Wexford and Wicklow.
Their houses were searched, but there was no indication that weapons or anything illegal had been found. The reason for the arrests is not yet clear.
However, it is understood gardai are concerned that the dissidents might have been planning some form of attack to disrupt the talks at Stormont. According to republican sources in the North the dissidents still have very little support in traditional urban republican strongholds in west Belfast. However, there is said to be growing support in south Armagh. The dissidents have held a series of meetings despite threats from the Provisional IRA.