Downing St 'apologised to Gerry Adams'

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Gerry Adams, has said he was not consulted about his appointment to a paid office of the Crown.

The Sinn Fein leader said the prime minister's private secretary has apologised "for today's events".

At prime minister's questions David Cameron announced that Adams was to be appointed as Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, a mechanism by which an MP can leave the Commons.

Members cannot leave but must instead apply for one of two paid offices retained for that reason.

"When I was told of the British prime minister's remarks today this was the first I heard of this development," Adams said.

"I understand Mr Cameron has claimed that 'the Honourable Member for West Belfast has accepted an office for profit under the Crown.'

"This is untrue. I simply resigned.

"I was not consulted nor was I asked to accept such an office. I am an Irish republican.

"I have had no truck whatsoever with these antiquated and quite bizarre aspects of the British parliamentary system."

He added: "While I respect the right of British parliamentarians to have their own protocols and systems, no matter how odd these may appear to the rest of the world in general and Irish people in particular, the prime minister should not make claims which are untrue and inaccurate."

In a statement the Treasury said: "Gerry Adams has said consistently and publicly that he is resigning from Parliament.

"As set out in Erskine May, the only means by which a Member can vacate a seat is by accepting a paid office of the Crown.

"Consistent with longstanding precedent, the chancellor has taken Mr Adams' resignation as a request to be appointed the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead and granted the office."

The statement said the chancellor "has duly written confirming that he will be appointed to the Manor of Northstead".

In his statement Adams also revealed that the letter he sent the Speaker last week was partly in Irish.

That letter said:

"A chara (Dear Sir), I hereby resign as MP for the constituency of west Belfast. Go raibh maith agat (Thank you). Gerry Adams."

Adams, along with the other four Sinn Fein MPs, refuses to sit at Westminster or take the oath of allegiance.

"I am proud to have represented the people of west Belfast for almost three decades and to have done so without pledging allegiance to the English Queen or accepting British parliamentary claims to jurisdiction in my country," he said today.

"It was a wrench for me to give up the West Belfast seat.

"I am very grateful to all those citizens who worked and voted for Sinn Fein through good times and bad times in defiance of the British government and its allies in Ireland.

"But I gave a commitment that when the election to the Dail was called I would resign the West Belfast seat to stand for the Louth and East Meath constituency and I have."

Adams is tipped to win a seat in Dail Eireann, the Irish parliament, at the imminent general election.