No point in recriminations over North suspension, says Ahern

The Taoiseach warned in the Dail against recriminations in the Northern crisis.

Mr Ahern, answering Opposition questions, also told the House he received last Friday's de Chastelain report on decommissioning at 10 o'clock that morning. He added it had been given to his officials in Belfast at 4.30 a.m.

Mr Ahern was replying to the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, who said the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, had stated, at the time of the suspension of the Belfast Agreement, that he had only just received the IRA message. "Will the Taois each explain what happened to the message in the 24 hours, and why it took so long for it to be communicated to the Secretary of State?"

Mr Ahern replied: "I wish to restate what I said, namely, that the letter was given to my officials at 4.30 a.m. in Belfast. It was communicated to me some hours later - about 10 o'clock - and I communicated it to the British Prime Minister, which was the only thing I could do.

"I am not aware of, or answerable for, what happened within the British system thereafter. Whatever happened, happened, and we had our words and our arguments last Friday. That is over, regardless of what happened. We must now deal with the current situation and I see no point in recriminations."

Earlier, on the Order of Business, Mr Bruton said the Government had asked for statements on the North on Tuesday, ruling out questions which might have probed the Government's position on Northern Ireland. He had assumed, therefore, that the Taoiseach's statement on the subject would be full and frank. But it appeared it was not, if the Irish Independent was to be believed.

The newspaper, he added, contained a report that the Government was extremely angry about the decision to suspend the agreement, but no such sentiment was expressed by the Taoiseach in the House.

"If the Government is expressing anger, then the Taoiseach's position, as set out to the House, was not full and frank. If it is the case that the Government is angry about suspension, why did the Taoiseach not mention this in the House on Tuesday? Does the Government believe that resignation would have been preferable to suspension?

"Is it the Government's position that the suspension was not wrong in principle, but that it should not have taken place until 7.30 p.m. and not at 5.30 p.m.? Could the Taoiseach explain the difference the two hours would have made?"

Mr Bruton said he had supported, and would continue to support, the Taoiseach in regard to a very difficult matter. But if the Government requested permission to make statements in the House, the House was entitled to a full and frank explanation of the Government's position.

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said the Irish Independent article, citing senior Government sources, created a degree of confusion at a time when all of the parties in the House should be ad idem on their commitment to getting the process back on track and achieving a successful outcome as quickly as possible. "I would like the Taoiseach to address and refute the story in today's Irish Independent. The alternative is a serious situation which brings into profile the gap between what the Taoiseach told the House on Tuesday and what was felt by Government officials."

Mr Trevor Sargent (Green Party, Dublin North) said that last week he had raised the legal concerns about the legitimacy of unilateral suspension of the executive, adding that the Taoiseach should address them at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Ahern said the statement he had made on Tuesday expressed his position and that of the Government. He did not want to add anything to that. "I said that the Government did not support unilateral suspension because it breached the Good Friday agreement. It happened, however, because of the circumstances. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland acted because he felt the alternative would have created even more difficulties. There is not a row about that.

"I understand the difficulties for those trying to report on meetings which they did not attend. Yesterday's meeting with all parties dealt constructively with the future. There were not any recriminations about the events of last Friday. All parties have moved on from that and everyone put their efforts into trying to find a resolution. That is what I will do."

Mr Bruton urged Mr Ahern to seek to ensure that, "on this sensitive matter", Government spokespersons, officials or senior sources did not brief the biggest national newspaper, contrary to the facts. "In this instance, it now transpires there is a false story in that newspaper today, no doubt as a result of the activity of somebody in the State's pay."

Mr Quinn asked the Taoiseach to state categorically "that the story in the front page of today's newspaper is incorrect and that the Government is not at loggerheads with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland."

Mr Ahern replied: "Of course, there was a conflict last Friday. My position on this is on the record. However, that was last Friday and yesterday everybody committed themselves to moving on.

"As I said here yesterday morning, all in this House know that recriminations and arguments over what has happened will never resolve anything and it never has."

Mr Austin Currie (FG, Dublin West) said the progress made so far in the North had arisen because of the close co-operation with the British government and future progress would depend on that continuing.