It's been reported that the IRA had told its members it was on the verge of disbandment just weeks before the Northern Bank raid in Belfast.
Apparently senior figures had held meetings in the Republic to tell members that the whole movement was to be dismantled,two weeks before talks on power sharing broke down.
Some sources have indicated that the IRA did not expect to get as much money as they did.

Would it be too far-fetched to imagine that perhaps certain figures in the IRA,unhappy with plans to disband,pushed for this robbery knowing full well it would damage Sinn Fein?
Personally,I find it hard to believe the IRA was going to disband as such an event would be better served further down the road to secure Gerry Adams some Brownie points(no pun intended).
IRA disbandment doesn't look likely in the near future,anyway.