IRA still has weapons, conducts counterintelligence operations and members believe it oversees Sinn Fein’s strategy

​The assessment was carried out by intelligence services for the former NI secretary of state Theresa Villiers – and outlines the threat posed by, and activities of, terrorist groups in Northern Ireland.

It says that the structures of the Provisional IRA remain in existence – including the so-called Army Council (PAC) and some “departments with specific responsibilities”.

The PSNI told the BBC’s Nolan Show on Friday that the assessment “has not changed”. It says “PIRA members believe that the PAC oversees both PIRA and Sinn Fein with an overarching strategy. We judge this strategy has a wholly political focus”.

However, it says some IRA members are involved intelligence gathering and attempts to uncover intelligence sources. Others are “involved in the storage of remaining weaponry” – as well as “criminal activity such as large scale smuggling”. It adds that the PIRA leadership is committed to obtaining a united Ireland “by political means”.

Ulster Unionist justice spokesperson Doug Beattie told the BBC’s Nolan Show that “intelligence gathering is not for peaceful means”.

The Upper Bann MLA said: “We need to find out what they’re intelligence gathering for… and they say they’re storing weapons. Why are they storing weapons? That is not for peaceful means.”

The role of paramilitaries has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after criticism of the decision of two DUP ministers to meet the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC).

That loyalist umbrella group – which includes representatives of the UDA and UVF – says the police confirmation that the 2015 assessment hasn’t changed “exposes the hypocrisy” of the SDLP and Alliance Party “over their failure to call out Sinn Fein over their continued connection and subservience to their IRA overlords”.

The same security report says that more UVF members “are involved in organised crime including drug dealing, extortion and smuggling” than are involved in politics.

It says the UDA leadership has “limited control” over its members – who are in some cases “heavily involved in violence and crime”. Both groups are still recruiting.

David Campbell, chairman of the LCC, said: “As one of the UUP negotiators of the Belfast Agreement and subsequently as David Trimble's chief of staff I recall the assurances of the International Commission on Decommissioning that the IRA had claimed to have accounted fully for their arsenals of weapons and explosives, and further, had placed them all beyond use in line with the prescribed decommissioning schemes. It was on this basis that unionism concluded that republicans had met their commitments under the Belfast Agreement and could be democratic partners in a Northern Ireland executive. Is it now the case that the IICD was deceived and the many independent inspectors used as part of verification processes were also deceived?

“These are key issues which need urgent addressing if Sinn Fein are to remain as part of any Northern Ireland executive and if they are to compete electorally to be part of a sovereign government in the Republic of Ireland.”

Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson said: “Following the persistent focus on loyalism and what ‘transition’ ought to mean, I pointed out on Nolan on Wednesday night that in circumstances whereby the IRA continue to exist as a structure that it was absurd to hold loyalism to a higher standard.

“This was followed up by correspondence to ACC Singleton asking for an up to date assessment on the IRA or confirmation the 2015 assessment remained. In response, the PSNI confirmed the 2015 assessment stood.”