The Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has asked the Garda Commissioner to liaise with the PSNI, and carry out a fresh assessment of the status of Provional IRA (PIRA).

She also says the parties in the North should get on with their work, and allow the PSNI investigation into the killing of Kevin McGuigan to proceed.

Last week, PSNI chief George Hamilton said elements of the IRA were responsible for the murder of Mr McGuigan in Belfast.

Sinn Féin have vehemently denied the claim that the IRA is still in existence - with party president Gerry Adams making firm denials that the group is still operating.

But in a statement this afternnon, Ms Fitzgerald says: "Whatever the immediate political pressures, I know that as Justice Minister whatever assessments I make can have profound implications and could affect what the parties in the North do".

"This is a time for cool heads and measured judgements. I will be working closely with Charlie Flanagan and Theresa Villiers in making those judgements in the light of any evidence that emerges and we will be meeting next week".

The Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan is to discuss the IRA controversy with the Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers in Dublin next week.

"Many, if not all, members of PIRA were members of Sinn Féin"

"As was clear from what the Chief Constable said at the weekend there are no simplistic answers about the continued existence of PIRA. To simply say PIRA continues to exist as if nothing has changed would be quite wrong", Ms Fitzgerald continues.

"To be blunt, making organisational judgements is complicated by the fact that many, if not all, members of PIRA were members of Sinn Féin".

She says information available to her is "consistent with the reports of the Independent Monitoring Commission", that the so-called 'military' departments had been disbanded and the former terrorist capability had been lost.

But she adds that those assessments have to be kept under review in the light of the emergence of any evidence in the current PSNI investigation.

"And that is why I have asked the Garda Síochána to carry out a fresh assessment in relation to PIRA in the light of the progress of that investigation".

"There is no doubt that people who have been associated with PIRA have been - and continue to be - involved in the most serious crime and neither Gerry Adams nor Sinn Féin can wash their hands of responsibility for that. And it is fair to ask Sinn Féin how they intend to address a legacy they are responsible for".

"This is a time for calm, measured judgements.  It is not a time for any of us to change the contempt we have held for what the Provisional movement stood for down through the years", she adds.

Minister Fitzgerald spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime about her reasons behind this move.