Sinn Féin TD Mr Aengus Ó Snodaigh has criticised as "unsafe" the conviction of a close political associate who was involved in spying on senior Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and PD politicians.
The case, which is deeply embarrassing for Sinn Féin, led to a renewed demand yesterday from the SDLP's deputy leader, Dr Alasdair McDonnell, for the IRA to end all activity. He said the case showed that "the IRA has been spying on democratically-elected southern politicians and profiteering from criminality".
Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, yesterday called on Mr Ó Snodaigh "to immediately explain the nature of his relationship" with the convicted man, and also to explain "how a Sinn Féin activist came to be convicted of membership of the IRA". He said the case showed "how even today Sinn Féin and the IRA are inextricably linked and in many eyes are two sides of the same coin".
Niall Binéad was one of two men convicted of IRA membership in the Special Criminal Court last Friday. He is one of Mr Ó Snodaigh's key election workers in the Dublin South Central constituency.
The trial heard evidence that the arrest of Binéad and his co-accused Kenneth Donohoe came the day after gardaí arrested five others following suspicious activity around three vehicles in Corke Abbey, Bray, on the same day.
Gardaí found four men inside a van; they also found a sledgehammer, two pickaxe handles, eight bags of ties, radios, a black balaclava, rubber gloves and a yellow fluorescent jacket with the word "Garda" on it.
In a Nissan car with false number plates they found a blue flashing beacon, a Long Kesh cap, a stun gun, a canister of CS gas and a roll of black tape.
Gardaí who subsequently went to Binéad's house found in a small briefcase a list written on cigarette paper which was headed "Politicians". Mr George Birmingham SC said the prosecution viewed this as an IRA document.
It listed Jim Mitchell, Fine Gael; Des O'Malley, Progressive Democrats; John O'Donoghue, Fianna Fáil; and said "drinking in Rathgar". It went on to list "Jim McDaid, Donegal Fianna Fáil; and Brendan 'Rambo' McGahon, Fine Gael" and added, "backing horses in Paddy Powers just off Grafton Street, Lemon Street, just off Bewley's cafe".
The court ruled that the details of other documents, including names, found in the briefcase on that day should not be published.
Dr McDonnell said yesterday that Mr Ó Snodaigh's associate was involved in a "spy ring [which] was part of a dirty tricks campaign for Sinn Féin against other political parties".
There was also evidence that he was gathering details on Dublin criminals to demand money from them. "This is further proof that the IRA is trying to profiteer from the most serious criminality."
However, Mr Ó Snodaigh insisted the conviction was unsafe and called for the immediate closure of the Special Criminal Court. The decision "mirrored the worst excesses of the diplock court system in the Six Counties", he said.
"There is huge outrage and anger that once again we have seen people convicted of IRA membership, not on any evidence, but on the word of a Garda superintendent," he said.