Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As I have mentioned a number of times outside the House and I repeat it inside the House, there are no differences between the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and me on this issue whatsoever. I get detailed briefings on security issues, but they are broad briefings. I do not get detailed intelligence reports every day like the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform receives, nor do I or have I ever looked for the detailed security briefs from different regions of the Garda and the kind of information the Minister gets.

Deputy Kenny is right, but that is a sideshow. It is really nothing to do with the main matter. I am the one who is at least credited with the phrase of Sinn Féin and the IRA being opposite sides of the one coin. Who attends meetings and what is its formation have nothing to do with the issues. I agree fully with that point. The fundamental issue here is that we are trying to move to get a clear position on three questions. We have made considerable progress on perhaps two of those questions. The fundamental issues are the putting arms beyond use — decommissioning; the issue of criminality in all its respects; and the end of paramilitarism. Who is or is not in some group is not the issue. All the Government's attention and efforts are to reach that position.

As I have said many times the reason for that is simple. We have spent two full years on this phase of the peace process. In all that has happened in recent weeks, nobody should forget the enormous strides that have been made in all the other phases of the peace process. However, since the end of 2002 we have moved to the phase of acts of completion for the outstanding issues. That is the phase we have been in. We made substantial progress in March 2003, but failed because of these issues. At the end of 2003 we made progress, but failed again because of these issues. Again in 2004 we failed because of these issues and some other issues — the clarity around decommissioning.

We are trying to bring an end to this phase. I will restate the reason for this as it cannot be said often enough. We cannot implement the wish of the people, which is the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement because we cannot get trust and confidence on the part of all the parties, never mind the two Governments, to move forward until we get clarity on these issues. This is why it is so important. This is the fundamental issue. Anything else is a sideshow. When we met Sinn Féin representatives some weeks ago we made these points clear to them. We are awaiting a response on those points and I hope we will be able to move on successfully when we get those responses. We have not got them as yet.

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