Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said last night abuse victims were failed by the IRA policy of shooting alleged sex offenders. His admission came as Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the North's First Minister Peter Robinson prepare to meet Maíria Cahill.

Party TDs have strongly backed Mr Adams's stance on the Cahill controversy. Writing on his blog last night, Mr Adams said IRA members were "singularly ill-equipped" to deal with such matters.

“This included very sensitive areas such as responding to demands to take action against rapists and child abusers. The IRA on occasion shot alleged sex offenders or expelled them,” he said.

“While this may have been expedient at the time it was not appropriate.

“Victims were left without the necessary social service support and abusers without supervision. It ultimately failed victims and the community alike. That is a matter of profound regret for me, and many other republicans.”

Mr Adams has rejected remarks attributed to him in a recent television programme by Ms Cahill, who has also claimed Sinn Féin members have covered up child abuse.

In his blog, Mr Adams said while he refuted Ms Cahill’s allegations against himself and Sinn Féin, “it does raise the significant issue of how allegations of abuse had been handled in the past by republicans”.

Other victims

He said Ms Cahill had said there were other victims who were living in fear, and perpetrators at large who are a danger to children at this time as a result of how republicans dealt with these issues in the past.

“Anyone with information should come forward to the authorities, he said. “That includes Maíria Cahill,” he added.

A Government spokesman said: “The Taoiseach has found Maíria to be a compelling and very articulate person. He has every intention of meeting Maíria and arrangements are being made.”

Mr Robinson described Ms Cahill’s case as “very similar to how some institutions sought to protect the organisation rather than give support to victims of sexual abuse”. The DUP leader will meet her in Stormont this afternoon.

IRA member

A grandniece of leading IRA figure Joe Cahill, Ms Cahill has alleged she was raped by an IRA member and had to face her alleged assailant in a republican-style court.

She has alleged that at a meeting with Mr Adams about her allegations he said: “Well you know, Maíria, abusers can be extremely manipulative. And you know . . . sometimes they are that manipulative that the people who have been abused actually enjoy it.”

Sinn Féin’s justice spokesman, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, said he felt “huge empathy” with Ms Cahill but “absolutely refuted” her claim that Sinn Féin members had covered up child abuse, which he described as “a slur on our party”.

Mr Mac Lochlainn added: “I don’t believe for a second Gerry would’ve used the words attributed to him.”

Waterford Senator David Cullinane said opponents of the party in politics and the media were "using this issue in a very cynical way".

Deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald and finance spokesman Pearse Doherty both strongly defended Mr Adams over the weekend.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh, TD for Dublin South Central, said Ms Cahill had demonstrated courage by going public and she should be commended for that. However, he said he did not believe the remarks she attributed to Mr Adams would have been made by him.