Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

On the Deputy's first question on the date we expect to hear a response, frankly, I do not know the answer. The two Governments expect to hear a response over the summer. We expect to hear one in the weeks immediately ahead prior to the holiday break in August. That is what we believe, although we do not have any definite information. As I said previously, if that is not adhered to, I will regret that fact but it is not the biggest issue; the biggest issue is that when we receive a response, we get the right one. That is still my position. It would help everybody if we could remove the uncertainty. I welcome the fact that all over the island of Ireland there has been a meeting of people — we know this from security intelligence sources and otherwise — who have been involved in Provisional IRA activities during the years. That they are debating this issue is good and I hope we will get the right answer from them.

On the Deputy's second question of what is our minimum and maximum position, there is no difference in this regard. We have made it clear since last autumn and long before — since October 2001, the first time we spelled it out in a document, and the position has not changed much — that we want an unambiguous end to all paramilitary and criminal activity. This means a full end to paramilitary activity with clear instructions that those involved in these activities cease. That was set out very well in paragaph 13 of the document issued a few years ago which defines what it means and all the categories covered. I would not add to or substract from the list. The only change over the period was that in addition to paramilitary activity we included criminal activity. The Deputy knows the reason we inserted that term. The end of criminal acitvity means the end of all such acitivty. I do not believe there can be big and small criminal activities.

With regard to the completion of decommissioning, it seems to the two Governments that continuing with incremental decommissioning will not resolve the problems. It was useful at the start as a confidence-building measure but that did not last too long. General John de Chastelain must be totally and absolutely happy in this regard. He is accepted on all sides — we had this discussion recently — as being in a position to make an authoritive declaration on the matter. Neither Prime Minister Blair nor I want to get into discussion with him on it, one way or another. It is a matter for him to be satisfied and to make his assessment based on the logistical information that we know is in his possession. Anything other than that, as the Deputy correctly said, will not allow us to move on and deal with the political agenda. That agenda will have its own difficulties and problems. We cannot get on with that, however, until we get these answers.

If this does not happen, as I have said to other parties in recent months, there is not much point in asking further because we know what the answers will be. In the event, the stalemate will continue into the dim and distant future. I have been very clear on that in all meetings with the various parties since last September.

On the Deputy's third question, nobody has suggested to me what the IRA as a group will do, if we can move it to a peaceful mode in which paramilitary activity, violence and criminal related activities are over. I have talked about this to many people in Northern Ireland, including the Unionist political parties. It was Mr. David Trimble as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party who said that a commemorative organisation was something that would be acceptable to him.

If they believe that they should commemorate those who have died, who have been colleagues over the years, whatever their activities, I am certainly not going to condemn that. Neither do I condemn the fact that the Red Hand Commandos, the UVF, the UDA and other paramilitary organisations engage in such activities. To say they will all go away and never be involved in such activities any more is just not dealing with the real world, because they will. To try to say they should not commemorate somebody who has been killed or was a colleague is not to live in the real world. Our line is that as long as we are finished with arms, criminality, paramilitary trappings and all those matters, we will have brought an end to that which we have sought to end.

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