The Government appears to have reversed its policy on policing in Northern Ireland, Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte claimed today.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern is quoted in an interview in this morning's Irish Timessaying that when the Assembly reconvenes next Monday to begin appointing a power-sharing executive, "the policing issue wouldn't be a pre-condition".
Mr Rabbitte told the Dail today that Mr Ahern's comments were "bizarre" and "contradictory".
He quoted the Taoiseach previously saying policing was one of the key outstanding issues afflicting the Belfast Agreement.
At Farmleigh in January, Bertie Ahern said: "by the summer [Sinn Fein should] ... give full recognition to the PSNI for the first time and join the policing boards. That would clear the way for the devolving of policing powers to a restored Northern executive."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs's newspaper comments contradicted this position, Mr Rabbbitte said.
He also said Mr (Dermot) Ahern had dismissed the anti-criminality campaign led by Justice Minister Michael McDowell as merely "politicking in the South".
In the interview, it was put to Mr Ahern that his claim that Fianna Fail could not enter government with Sinn Fein because of incompatible economic policies did not account for the concerns about IRA criminality held by Mr McDowell and Minster for Defence Willie O'Dea.
Mr Ahern responded: "I think it's fair to say if you look at what Michael McDowell has said in relation to any of the recent Independent Monitoring Commission reports it is in the context of the ability of Sinn Féin to participate in government."
Answering questions in the Dail, the Taoiseach said he ahd not read the interview but insisted there was no-one tougher" on border crime the Minister for Foreign Affairs.