Controverse rond Ierse Sinn Féin-europarlementariërs (en)

The political maelstrom currently engulfing Sinn Féin, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, in Ireland is now having an effect on the party's two politicians in the European Parliament.

Following complaints by UK MEPs, the European Parliament's legal services department is next week likely to consider a request to strip members of Sinn Féin of their financial allowances, according to the FT.

Sinn Fein has been represented for the first time in the European Parliament since June last year with Mary Lou McDonald from the Dublin constituency and Bairbre de Brún from Northern Ireland.

The call by UK MEPs comes as Sinn Féin finds itself under increasing pressure as both Dublin and London have accused the IRA of carrying out a huge bank raid in Belfast in December.

This was followed in January by the murder of a Catholic, Robert McCartney, following a pub fight in Belfast - carried out by IRA members.

Jim Nicholson, an Ulster Unionist MEP, who heads a cross-party body which looks after MEPs' financial and administrative needs in the assembly said earlier this week that he had sent a request for financial penalties against Sinn Féin to the legal service to find out if there were grounds for action.

"It is not enough for Sinn Féin or the IRA to say they'll give one person or five people up. All the people who are guilty of this attack on Robert McCartney should be given up", said Mr Nicholson on Monday.

UK Labour MEP Gary Titley was also critical of Sinn Féin.

"The raid on the Northern Bank, the murder of Robert McCartney, the intimidation of witnesses, the evidence of money laundering suggests that extensive criminality has now become part and parcel of the Northern Ireland scene", he said.

Such criminality had no place in political action, he said, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Head of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, said on Tuesday morning at a press conference that he rejected everything the IRA was doing and that they could not expect to receive solidarity from the Parliament.

He added that the political grouping to which Sinn Féin's two MEPs belong should consider carefully whether it should include members who supported those who deliberately follow a policy which can lead to a 'miserable situation' for Northern Ireland.

Both Ms de Brún and Ms McDonald sit with the left wing GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament.

The McCartney murder and the Belfast bank raid have had an effect across the Atlantic, as well.

For the first time in a decade, leaders of the Sinn Fein party will not be guests of the White House for the traditional St Patrick's day celebrations on 17 March.

Moreover, on Wednesday, the Bush administration told the IRA it should disband after it offered to shoot four men - including two recently expelled members - responsible for killing Mr McCartney.