Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The process of engagement between the two Governments is continuing. We want to make progress in the coming weeks. We want to clear away as many issues as possible before the summer. The current controversy has brought the issue of paramilitarism clearly into focus. There are other issues, but this is obviously a key question. The two Governments will continue to facilitate and actively encourage the process. We need the parties to continue to engage and commit themselves.

In regard to last October, as I said last Wednesday, we were prepared, if we achieved the totality of what we were trying to negotiate, to examine and approve a situation where we would release the prisoners. Unfortunately, we never reached that position for a number of reasons. It was not the only issue. There were several issues, including the ending of paramilitarism, "on the runs" and all the issues around that, which we never got near. I hope that clears up the issue. We were prepared to deal with the issue if we got what we wanted, but we did not get there.

On what the President of Sinn Féin said today, it is clear that Mr. Adams is under an enormous misapprehension. The Government made it clear at the time of the Good Friday Agreement that the release of Jerry McCabe's killers was not covered by the Agreement. I said so on several occasions, including in a letter and in subsequent statements in this House and elsewhere. Mr. Adams and Mr. McGuinness argued that they should be covered, but we argued they should not. At that stage we were not discussing the end of paramilitarism or what would happen in regard to decommissioning. We had negotiated that decommissioning would be finished in two years. These issues should have been completed by 2000. I reiterate that Sinn Féin argued the position.

The fact is that the McCabe killers were convicted in February 1999 and we were discussing where we were in April 1998. Whatever discussions took place, we certainly had not reached a position on who would be released. We made it clear from the outset that the Good Friday Agreement would not include this aspect. The matter was raised in this House at the time. I replied by saying I could understand how people in the North would say they were being treated under one rule while people in the South were being treated under another rule. I defended that position, which was clearly our understanding at the time. What is on the Dáil record is correct.

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