Ahern confirms adviser's meeting with McKevitt

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern confirmed this evening that his former special adviser on Northern Ireland held a meeting with the political…

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern confirmed this evening that his former special adviser on Northern Ireland held a meeting with the political wing of the Real IRA weeks before the Omagh bombing.

Mr Ahern said that Dr Martin Mansergh had contact with the 32 County Sovereignty Committee along with Belfast priest Fr Alex Reid - who was involved in negotiations leading up to the Northern Ireland peace process.

But contrary to a previous statement, the Taoiseach admitted that it was not clear from previous Dáil records that Dr Mansergh had met the leader of the RIRA Michael McKevitt on Christmas 1998. McKevitt was later jailed for directing terrorism and being peripherally involved in the Omagh bombing.

However Mr Ahern maintained that last November he indicated that Dr Mansergh, did have contact with the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in 1998.

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"I also said that following the Omagh atrocity Fr Alex Reid was in discussion with that organisation with a view to bringing about the ceasefire that was announced in September 1998," Mr Ahern said.

He said that following the announcement of the ceasefire in September 1998, the government communicated the message that the RIRA should not only maintain their ceasefire but should disband and cease to exist by the end of that year.

He said: "The message would also have been communicated and reinforced directly by Dr Mansergh in December 1998 ... and in a follow-up meeting at the request of the government to his earlier contact at a time when the Real IRA ceasefire had been in existence for three months."

The Taoiseach said Dr Mansergh had put a report of his meeting on record at the justice department and his own department.

And he added: "I accept that it would have been better if I had mentioned it at that particular time but I do so now."

Mr Ahern was responding to a question from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, after it emerged that the claims are to be Mr published in a book.

Mr Kenny was unhappy with the Taoiseach's response saying the meeting came at a time when the victim's families were "pursuing their course of justice" in relation to those responsible for the bombing.

PA