The Garda Commissioner has refused to be drawn on claims the Provisional I.R.A. is still operating in parts of the country.

Last month Noirín O'Sullivan wrote to Sinn Féin and effectively said the IRA had disbanded and that its former terrorist capability had been lost.

Today at an Oireachtas Committee Senator James Heffernan put it to the Commissioner that the IRA ruled parts of Cavan, Monaghan and Louth by threat and intimidation.

“I asked you do you believe that the IRA do not exist?,” Mr Heffernan said.

“Again Senator what I would say is that An Garda Siochana will investigate any incident of criminality and we will investigate anybody or any group of individuals involved in any type of orgnaised crime or terrorism, and we would continue to do that,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

He repeatedly asked her if the I.R.A. were still in existence, but she refused to answer the question

“There are a number of individuals both acting individually and acting in consort involved in organsied crime in a number of the areas you’ve mentioned,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

“We work very, very closely with our colleagues in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and indeed with British security services in terms of targeting and dismantling both individuals and groups involved in organised criminal activity and in terrorism,” she added.