Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

In answer to Deputy Ó Caoláin's question on the Good Friday Agreement, I will emphasise that point when I meet Dr. Paisley because there is no other basis on which we can move forward. If I did not make the position as clear today as I did last week, it is my view that the process of dialogue and discussions going on at present is of major importance. A positive answer to these issues is the only way I can see of getting back into the position of building trust and confidence and moving forward — it is a different day's work if the answer is negative. It is a very important and significant debate.

As to how Sinn Féin uses the seats for which it won a mandate by way of representation in Westminster, that is totally a matter for Sinn Féin and I have no comment to make on it. I am still totally committed to the all-party committee report. I believe the Deputy would accept that we can only progress that matter in the right circumstances. However, I am still supportive of those circumstances because it is a good way of moving forward. I am sure I will shortly meet representatives of Sinn Féin on a formal basis, but I have no date for that.

On Deputy Kenny's last question, in reality we need co-operation and help to try to get the convictions necessary on the McCartney murder. We need people to be helpful. This incident did not happen in the countryside in the middle of the night with nobody around. A huge number of people were around. We must always be very careful about the legal position and that a major investigation is going on. I am sure Deputy Kenny, like me, hears the same names with the same picture being painted. Regardless of whether that is right or wrong, if people who are brought in for questioning answer nothing and do not engage, it makes the matter very difficult to resolve. It is a case with huge significance not only within this country but also around the world.

As I said recently on other matters, we have continued, I believe in a fair-handed way, to follow many cases like the Finucane case, and 16 years later the Government has followed that case. We have followed many other cases also. However, this is an important case as well. It is not many months ago since it occurred and some people know precisely who was involved, what happened and the circumstances of it. I hope prosecutions can be dealt with to give justice to a decent family, which is all they are looking for. I know they are not looking for all the publicity that relates to this, they just want to see justice for the murder of their brother.

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