The Taoiseach Mr Ahern has dismissed suggestions he was snubbed by families and victims of the 1998 Omagh Bombing during a visit to the town yesterday.
Though he did meet a group of families for just under half an hour at the town's council offices, the main families group, the Omagh Support and Self Help Group led by Mr Michael Gallagher, had travelled instead to Dublin to meet the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny.
Mr Ahern, who was in the town for almost two hours, said he had met the victims and their families before, would do so again and that he had always wanted to meet the families.
"I want to assure the families that the Irish Government will continue to do everything in its power to bring all those responsible to trial," he added.
"I know that it is a matter of distress to the families of those murdered and injured at Omagh that people who were responsible for that event have not been brought to justice."
Meanwhile in Dublin, Mr Gallagher said he wanted "an in- depth discussion" with the Taoiseach about the bombing and relatives' concerns in relation to it.
He said he had heard a week ago that the meeting with the Taoiseach at Omagh "would be between five and 10 minutes" and this was not what was needed. Therefore he and those who travelled to Dublin with him had decided to keep their appointment with the Fine Gael leader.
The August 1998 bomb killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins. After the families met Mr Ahern, Mr Laurence Rush, whose wife Libby was killed by the bomb, said it had been too short.
"It didn't allow for in-depth argument and discussion about things we are concerned about. I reminded him that all the people who had been charged, they are not charged with Omagh."
He reiterated the families' demand that the secret Nally Report into Garda handling of intelligence on the bombing be published in full, or a public investigation be established.
He described the meeting as "very very cordial, very very good", but reminded Mr Ahern that he was the Taoiseach and "the buck stops there".
Asked whether he had been reassured by the Taoiseach that those responsible for the bomb would be brought before the courts, Mr Rush said the meeting had been cause for some hope. "But after all, it's coming up on six years and we need a little bit more than hope. We need justice."
Earlier in the afternoon, Mr Ahern visited Market Street, the site of the bomb, before laying a wreath at the memorial garden created in memory of the victims of the bomb. He then met school pupils who presented him with a book, Images of Omagh.
Last night, Mr Kenny said the relatives of the Omagh victims had been treated disgracefully by the Government.
"It is a disgrace that, five and a half years after the single worst atrocity in Northern Ireland, the Taoiseach has failed to have a proper meeting with the families of the 31 people killed and the many others badly injured.
"Despite repeated promises made in the Dáil, the Government has reneged on its commitment to publish the findings of the Nally Report, which investigated whether the Garda withheld information from police in the North which could have helped to prevent the bombing," he said.
"I am appalled that the Taoiseach will not be present in the Dáil for the debate on this report tomorrow."