North bank raid inquiry intense, says Taoiseach

The ongoing investigation in the Republic into the Northern Bank robbery is focusing on the money trail, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil.

He said the Government was receiving continual updates on the robbery, adding that it was being intensely investigated, and very senior members of the Garda were involved.

"The effort has focused on the money trail, and this continues to be the case. The matter is complicated, so I will say no more," he added.

Mr Ahern was replying to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who said it was quite a long time since the House had been given any news or information about the matter.

"It is obvious that some high-profile personnel in the country have been mentioned as being associated with the Northern Bank raid," said Mr Kenny.

The Fine Gael leader also raised the murder of Joseph Rafferty, adding that it had all the "sinister qualities of and similarities with" the murder of Robert McCartney.

Mr Rafferty was shot dead after leaving his apartment in west Dublin last April.

Mr Ahern said he had confirmed to members of the Rafferty family that he had raised the matter with Sinn Féin last month and would do so again at his next meeting with the party.

He added: "While we must leave all of the legal aspects of these matters to the investigation, it is always uncomfortable when everybody seems to know what happened and everybody gives the same names."

Replying to a series of questions, Mr Ahern said estimates of IRA arms had been given to the decommissioning commission by the Army and An Garda Síochána.

"The agreement on all of that, as it is set out, is that at the end of the period, when decommissioning is finished and Gen de Chastelain and his team have fulfilled their role, those issues will be clarified," he added. "They are on the security records."

Mr Ahern said that they could not be sure what loyalists might do in the future.

"However, in every way possible, we will keep the contacts we have established. We have some and we will not overstate that, but we try to keep lines of communication open," he added.

"Some relatively good contacts have been built up, including recently.

"Precisely what way the loyalists will go is a matter to leave for some time.

"There is a debate as to where all this will go. The more progress that can be built on the events of last week and July, the better."

Mr Ahern said it should be understood there was a sense of alienation in many of those communities.

"Regardless of what flag is flying in an estate, loyalist or nationalist, the problems are similar. We must seek to be helpful and supportive in every way.

"The Minister for Foreign Affairs, myself and officials on the ground always try to balance whatever we do because it is the best way to make progress," the Taoiseach said.