Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach will be aware that, as Leader of the Fine Gael Party, I was given a number of confidential briefings on the Northern Ireland peace process last year, for which I was very grateful. There was no reference in any of those briefings to the release of the killers of Detective Garda McCabe. In that context, in March 2003 when the Minister for Foreign Affairs met Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Féin, in an attempt to agree a range of measures to restore the Assembly and the Executive, is he aware whether the possible release of the McCabe killers was part of those discussions or was mentioned to Mr. Adams by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Government? Was the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform aware the release of the McCabe killers was part of the settlement towards which the Government was working? Did he agree at that stage that the killers of Detective Garda McCabe were eligible for release? I want to make that perfectly clear because in my recent travels around the country the public expressed its concern about this issue, having voted for the Good Friday Agreement in large numbers on the strict understanding the release of these persons was not part of that Agreement.

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