The Government today called on the "Colombia Three" to turn themselves in to gardaí.
Social Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan
Social Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan warned the men were "not above the law" and said they should meet gardaí to determine whether or not they had broken Irish law.
Mr Brennan also called on Sinn Féin to help locate the men and said that the situation had damaged the peace process.
"What these men appear to have been involved in is fairly reckless, it seems to have been a very foolish escapade, there was a fair bit of anger at their behaviour but that is now a matter for law to deal with that aspect of it," he told RTÉ's Morning Irelandradio programme.
Mr Brennan was speaking after Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos reiterated his Goverment's call for the three to be returned to Bogota to "pay their due" to his country.
The Government has called on the Colombia Three to surrender
Acknowledging that no extradition treaty existed between the two countries he said that it remained to be seen what possibilities Irish law would provide but that "the least we expect from the Irish Government is that they either pay their sentence in Irish jails or that they be extradited. How, we don't know exactly at this precise moment."
The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern ended his holidays early and sent an Ambassador to Bogota in a bid to defuse a political row that has already drawn in the British and US governments.
Writing in The Irish Timesthis morning, Mr Bertie Ahern said that any "request for assistance" from the Colombian Government would be considered in accordance with legal obligations.
He called for a "calm and clear-headed" debate on the issue and said that any such request would be "subject to scrutiny in the courts, as is right and proper in a democracy."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said in a statement this evening that the Taoiseach had a responsibility to clarify the Government's stance on the issue.
"It is very worrying, at a time when the threat of international terrorism is a very real one, that the Irish Government appears to have an ambivalent attitude to the reappearance of three convicted terrorists in our country.
"If the Taoiseach does not pursue all possible means of ensuring that justice is done in this case, Ireland's international reputation will be damaged and the suspicions of those who fear that the return of these terrorists was part of a secret deal between the Government and Sinn Féin or the IRA will be heightened."
Ulster Unionist Party leader Sir Reg Empey said Ireland ran the risk of making itself a haven for terrorists if it did not take action against the men.
Democratic Unionist MEP Jim Allister has already tabled a question in the European Parliament - to be answered next month - challenging European Union chiefs to compell Dublin to return Mr Connolly, Mr Monaghan and Mr McCauley to Colombia.
"I fully intend to use the forum and facilities of the European Parliament to keep the focus on this issue, believing that it is intolerable for any civilised government to harbour terrorists. Ahern and his seemingly robust Justice Minister must now be put to the test," he explained.
Progressive Democrats senator John Minihan has called on the Government to introduce tighter security features.
"I am calling for the introduction of biometric passports as a matter of urgency. The issuing of such passports would in future prevent all fugitives from justice abusing their status as Irish citizens," he said.
He said that if the three did not give themselves up they should be "arrested immediately" for questioning.