Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

There is no new information on the disappeared but we continue to engage with any information there is. Sites that have not been checked previously are always kept under review. If the information is sufficiently detailed and specific enough to do something, it is checked.

On the number of volunteers, I do not have any real oversight of this. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform receives security reports and he bases his information on intelligence mainly from the Garda but also from the Army. There are meetings a few times a year with the Garda when there are security issues such as the Northern Bank raid but normally I do not make a point of it. Anything the Minister would say would be based on that information and that is the position given by the Garda. Regarding the meetings, I accept what Deputy Kenny has said and that he is under some pressure because people have raised the issue with him. I appreciate the bipartisan approach to these matters and Deputy Kenny's recent letter on the issue. I have no argument with the Deputy.

I will reiterate what I stated recently. Following the public meeting the Government had with Sinn Féin after January, I made it clear there was no issue about us seeking to engage with the party. We asked Sinn Féin to go away and let us know what was happening. However, because of the wider peace process, we did not stop engagement.

From 8 December until the St. Patrick's Day period, other than the meeting that happened after 8 December and the meeting to which the Deputy referred, we did not have another meeting or engagement — hardly even a telephone call. It was then that I spoke to the leader of Sinn Féin and then met him in Washington. This was a short meeting between myself, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and Mr. Adams and Rita O'Hare. We reiterated our position from two months previously. Mr. Adams, as president of Sinn Féin, then issued his statement.

On three subsequent occasions, before, during and after the UK general election, I had three further short meetings with Sinn Féin. None of these was secret. I said publicly that I met the party. These meetings were mainly around two issues. One was the issue of us being clear about what we expected so that we could move forward. The other concerned the ongoing issue of the marching season and how we would work through it.

Many of the contacts we have had over the years on these issues are important and ensure we get through issues and events. It is not always understood the amount of contact that goes on during the marching season in attempts to get people on all sides to communicate. Otherwise events can easily get out control. Not only in this Government but with previous Governments, people, including myself, have gone to the trouble of meeting loyalists and others, sometimes privately. However, none of these meetings was in any way secret. There was no question of us talking about side negotiations or deals in written or other form. Such a request was never made to me. I was not asked in any of these meetings to make any such issue. These meetings simply concerned our ongoing business.

While I stated we would not engage with Sinn Féin, not to do so at all would be dangerous. It does not make any sense, particularly when the UK Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, has met Sinn Féin. The US envoy has met the president and other members of Sinn Féin. For the Government not to do so would be irresponsible. We must keep up the ongoing contact and dialogue. I hope that position is absolutely clear. I will answer Deputy Kenny's letter.

Regarding the assembly elections, I honestly hope that over the summer we will get a satisfactory conclusion of the issues to which I referred. In the months — not weeks — ahead, although I hope it is not too long a period, we can begin the process of engaging to build the confidence of the Democratic Unionist Party and Unionism generally to return to the position we were in some years ago. This will not be easy and will not happen overnight or in a few months. However, we must try to do so. The question has arisen as to whether one can get to that position with the assembly of November 2003, or if it will require fresh elections. From a purely technical or legal perspective, I do not see why one must change that position. Perhaps it will become clear to people, who will state that elections are needed. At present however, that is not an issue. It is another question as to whether it becomes an issue at some point in the next year. I do not see why it should, but no doubt others will state that it definitely will do so. It remains to be seen. However, before we reach that point, two major steps must take place or no further steps will take place. These issues must be answered in the short term — I have not put a date on it but they must be dealt with — and then we will move to the next phase, which will be to try to build trust and confidence and to return to establishing the executive. Hopefully, this can be done in the months ahead.

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