There's no sign of a settlement on the contentious issue of devolved powers of policing and justice as the DUP continues to seek "a clear end to the IRA's ruling army council".

While a senior policeman warned it may be hard to tell if the group have indeed "gone away", DUP Junior Minister, Jeffrey Donaldson (pictured) warned the IRA should not function in any way whatsoever.

"Whilst we note that the IMC has been asked to prepare a special report on paramilitary structures, including the current status of the IRA, we will be making our own assessment and using our own security contacts.

"The briefings we receive on a regular basis establish the extent to which the IRA has progressed with the dismantling of its paramilitary structures.

"It remains our position that the army council must leave the stage and that the IRA should no longer function in any respect."

Adding to the debate, Deputy First Minister Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness said: "The IRA have clearly 'gone off the stage' and have done so since 2005.

"But there's still attempts being made by some people to drag them back on and I think that's silly."

He was speaking as the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Peter Sheridan said the IRA's high command, while not a security threat, had not disbanded.

He was responding to a call from the British and Irish Governments for the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) to prepare a special report on the IRA's structures before the end of August.

The request is tied to efforts to get police and justice powers devolved from Westminster to the NI Assembly.

Mr Sheridan said: "The final ending of the Provisional Army Council may be difficult to call.

"They have not formally disbanded but they aren't doing what they were set out to do and they aren't a security threat," he said.

To date, the DUP and Sinn Fein have agreed that the justice portfolio would be held by a single minister and compromised by agreeing he or she should come from outside their parties.

But they have not agreed on a timetable for transferring the powers.

The Government and Sinn Fein have been pressing for speedy change but the DUP wants to wait until unionist confidence in the process has been established.

The Alliance Party and SDLP have been put forward as candidates for the position, although Alliance Leader David Ford firmly ruled his members out.

See: Adams Joins Debate On NI Policing Ministry

(BMcC)