THE IRA is running at least FOUR spies at the heart of the Government's administration in Northern Ireland.

And despite major police and MI5 investigations, only one person has been identified and charged with terrorist offences.

Forensic scientists and fingerprint experts are working flat-out to obtain DNA samples and hand impressions from almost 3,000 documents recovered in west Belfast, in a race to pinpoint a further four, or possibly five, spies with access to sensitive Government papers and files. A secret MI5 review of security and vetting arrangements at the NIO, expected to be presented to Secretary of State Paul Murphy in the New Year, won't be published, but unionists are calling for the resignations of senior civil servants. Only one civil servant, porter William Mackessy, 44, has been charged with possessing documents, likely to be useful to terrorists. Mackessy appeared in court in October on charges of possessing documents, more than a year after he was caught allegedly photocopying secret Downing Street papers by police officers assigned to guard then Secretary of State, John Reid. Amazingly, the IRA was allowed to continue its spying operation at Castle Buildings in Belfast uninterrupted for 13 months, until Mackessy and Sinn Fein's head of administration at Stormont, Denis Donaldson, 52, were arrested. Neither would have been arrested if the IRA hadn't seized the opportunity to burgle the 'informant handling contact office' of Special Branch in Belfast last March 17 - a daring raid that sparked a major police investigation. It was only when PSNI detectives seized material in Donaldson's home in October in connection with the Castlereagh burglary, that they apparently realised the IRA had a spy team based in Castle Buildings. But when senior officers told the NIO of their discovery, they were astounded to learn that the most senior civil servants, and John Reid, already knew of the spy ring, but had decided not to tell them. Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said last night: "There is increasing evidence that the NIO has tried to cover up the IRA's espionage operation, including the serious breach of security in the Government. If it weren't for the excellent Special Branch investigation, this would never have reached the public domain. "There must be accountability for the mistakes that have been made, and I am now calling for an independent inquiry into the breach of security at the NIO."

One source familiar with the 'Castlegate' investigation said last week: "The volume of documents recovered in October and the breadth of material covered in them, points to four - if not five - IRA moles working within the NIO. "They may or may not be uncovered, but every document is being minutely examined to see if any fingerprints or DNA can be identified. "It will be a long haul." Belfast Telegraph 22nd December 2002

"Lest we forget"