The Taoiseach said that events in the North had taken "a bad turn"since before Christmas. "The fall-out from the Northern Bank raid is that trust and confidence in the process are now at a very low level," he added when he replied to questions from Opposition leaders.
"The sooner we can deal with these issues straight up with the republican movement, the better.In my meetings yesterday, I outlined that in detail.I avoided doing so over the past few weeks as I wanted to do it in person, which I thought was the right and proper way, since I have been involved in the peace process for many years."
Mr Ahern said that two key issues were outstanding, and it would be impossible to move forward in any agreement until there was certainty on them. "One of the issues, the decommissioning of arms in order to take the gun out of politics, has been outstanding for a long time. The basis of discussions on that has been well documented.
"There is no possibility of building confidence with the parties unless the issue is resolved.I have been talking to all parties, the party leaders and others in Northern Ireland.
"That issue must be dealt with before we can even start, and it will probably be difficult to do it anyway with the (British) election only a few months off.We are totally committed to implementing the Good Friday Agreement because it is what the people on this island, North and South, voted for in such huge numbers."
Mr Ahern said that all aspects of the comprehensive deal were off the table because there was no comprehensive agreement. "Each time we tried to move, from April 2003, October 2003, November or December 2004, while the comprehensive agreement was still being built upon,these elements still remained in play," he added.
"That ended in the aftermath of December 8th, and these issues are no longer on the table."
Mr Ahern said he was conscious that the Government had a solemn obligation to the Irish people. "The Government is determined to see the Good Friday Agreement implemented in full and will do everything it can to make that happen. It is now more difficult," he added.
"I have asked Sinn Féin to reflect on how it can genuinely bring this process forward and, following such reflection, to come back on the two issues I mentioned. This must include a definitive and demonstrative end to all forms of criminal activity. We will see what happens.I will meet prime minister Blair next week and, prior to that, I will meet the International Monitoring Commission. I hope it will also be possible for me to meet Mr Hugh Orde and our own Garda Commissioner."
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said he hoped that the matter of the early release of the killers of Det Gda Jerry McCabe would not appear in any circumstances. "The Taoiseach understands my view of bipartisanship. We have always and will always support the Government's efforts to complete the Good Friday Agreement and rid this country of terrorism and criminal activity,"
Mr Kenny asked if the Taoiseach had at his disposal, based on information from intelligence sources, knowledge of the whereabouts of illegal arms dumps in the Republic.
Mr Ahern said he did not know the make-up of the present Army Council."I had some heated exchanges about that yesterday. I will not go over that ground again.I do not know the whereabouts of any arms dumps. The position of the Garda is that we will continue to seek out arms anywhere. No easy line will be taken on that," he added.
"There have been comments in recent days regarding appeasement and the failure of the system.In dealing with these issues one must have a steady nerve."
He said there seemed to be a sinister view that one could, on the one hand, continue the development of democratic politics of a kind and, on the other, that it was all right to engage in criminality. "There is a view that this was tolerated in order to try to move the process forward," he added. "However, 10 years on, we cannot continue to do that."
