McCabe killers' release conditional on end to paramilitarism - Ahern

The Taoiseach has repeated his assertion that the men convicted of the manslaughter of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe would be released "only in the context of the ending of paramilitarism by the IRA and full decommissioning."

Speaking in the Dáil today, Mr Ahern acknowledged that full implementation of the Belfast Agreement had not yet been achieved.

He said the governments realised the agreement was unlikely ever to reach full implementation unless certain issues, "some going beyond the terms of the Agreement" were settled.

Echoing Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams's statement earlier today, Mr Ahern told the Dáil of  "a complex set of understandings involving a range of elements, which would emerge as a sequence of agreed statements and supporting actions - some by governments, some by Sinn Féin, some by the IRA and some by unionists," had been discussed last April.

He said this came close to realisation but ultimately failed as did a subsequent attempt last October.

He said it was no secret that the elements to which he referred included "the restoration of institutions, the ending of paramilitarism in all its forms, the decommissioning of all illegally held arms, demilitarisation, policing and human rights."

Mr Ahern said the governments were now engaged in fresh efforts to bring a "definitive end to the Northern conflict."

He said it was unhelpful to single out any individual element and added the fact was that "one element had been singled out" -  that of the men convicted of the manslaughter of Det Garda Jerry McCabe.

He emphasised the release of the Castlerea prisoners was "not part" of the Belfast Agreement but added if there was to be an end to the IRA there would have to be "some pain and some gain".

He said the issue of the Castlerea prisoners remained on the agenda but said he wanted to be "100% clear that any consideration by the Irish Government of the release of the Castlerea five would only be in the context of the end of the IRA.