The Taoiseach has said it is unacceptable that no witness statements or evidence had yet emerged to allow the arrest and prosecution of the killers of Robert McCartney, despite Sinn Féin and IRA promises to co-operate in the matter.
Speaking yesterday after meeting British prime minister Tony Blair on the margins of the EU summit, Mr Ahern said the Government has "no intention of softening our line on the problems that have emerged. We have to deal with them, we want a democratic peace based on the full implementation of the Good Friday agreement."
He said he would be meeting Sinn Féin after Easter to discuss this.
"Gerry Adams said to me last week that he also wants that and that means we have to move to deal with the issues that are outstanding." In relation to Tuesday's IRA statement, he said: "I have no comment on that. Obviously insofar as I comment on it at all, we all want to deal with the outstanding issues and if they do, so do we.
"It is unacceptable that we haven't got any witnesses and evidence has so far not emerged that would allow for the arrests and prosecutions, and that continues to be the focus.
"Sinn Féin and the IRA say they are going to be helpful and all of that but it remains to be seen where we get."
He said there was a British general election expected in May, followed by the marching season in the North.
This year's traditionally tense marching season "is not going to be any easier based on things that have gone on over the past number of months so that is a concern for us", said Mr Ahern.
There tended to be no political progress during the marching season because managing it itself was a difficult task, he said.