The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said it is "somewhat reassured" following a meeting with the Minister for Justice that the killers of Garda Jerry McCabe will remain in jail.
Following a meeting lasting almost two-and-a-half hours at Mr McDowell's office in Dublin, the GRA general secretary Mr P.J. Stone said the exchanges had been "very forthright and honest". However, he declined to comment on the specifics of proposals he said were put forward by the GRA.
"Obviously we put forward some proposals to the minister which he promised he would take back to his Cabinet colleagues and to the Taoiseach. Dialogue is to remain open and as we leave this meeting, the killers of Jerry McCabe will continue in custody and we have achieved in that sense at least some clarifications in respect of their position today," he said.
Mr Stone said the GRA delegation was satisfied as to the minister's bona fides. The delegation would go back to the GRA executive to outline the details of the discussions, he said.
"As of now, in relation to the continued custody of these people, we're happy that they will continue to serve their sentences as a result of the meeting we have had with the minister today."
Asked whether there had been a shift in the GRA position given the recent high level of anger expressed by members at the proposal that the killers might be released as part of the peace process, Mr Stone added: "The minister outlined the position very carefully and very clearly. I think we have to respect the position taken by the minister in telling us issues that perhaps cannot be for public consumption. We now have to go back to our executive and advise them. We are leaving that meeting somewhat reassured and we're also saying that the question of the continuance of these people in jail has not changed and will not change."
Mr Stone said his members were obviously not happy. But they had set out their "unequivocal" position, which was that killers of Garda Jerry McCabe would remain in jail.
Questioned about the possibility of legal action on previous promises by the Government, Mr Stone said whatever action was required and "any action arising from legal action or otherwise will be considered...in the next 24 hours".
"We will take whatever action is required...from the point of view of ensuring...obviously any action arising from legal action or otherwise will be considered...in the next 24 hours.
In recent days, the GRA said it was "angered" at what they it saw as a Government "u-turn" on the release of the men convicted of Det Garda McCabe's manslaughter in a bid to restart the peace process in Northern Ireland.
The Tánaiste said this morning the release of the convicted men would not be considered except in circumstances in which paramilitary activities had come to a complete end and that the IRA was stood down forever. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Irelandprogramme, she said the circumstances would have to include the completion of paramilitary decommissioning and the implementation of all aspects of the Belfast Agreement.
The Taoiseach told the Dáil yesterday the release of the killers would only be considered in the event of an end to all paramilitary activity.
The Government's position in recent days appears to mark a shift in its previously stated position that the killers of Det Garda McCabe would not qualify for early release under the terms of the Belfast Agreement, although it denies this is the case.
The McCabe family said in a statement today they accepted the Government's reassurances that the garda's killers would not be given early release from prison. They said their sole consolation had been the solemn undertaking given by the Government that the rulings of the courts of the land would be complied with.
Det Garda McCabe (52), was shot dead during an armed robbery on a post office in Adare, Co Limerick in June 1996. He was sitting in an unmarked Garda car which had been escorting a security van. His partner, Det Garda Ben O'Sullivan, was seriously injured.
The Supreme Court found in January that the Government was entitled to make a policy decision that those jailed in connection with the robbery at Adare were not eligible for early release under the provisions of the Belfast Agreement. In April, it rejected a fresh attempt by two of those convicted in connection with the robbery, Michael O'Neill and John Quinn, to secure early release.
O'Neill, from Patrickswell, Co Limerick, is serving a total of 11 years for the manslaughter of Det McCabe, the malicious wounding of Det Garda O'Sullivan and possession of firearms for the purpose of a robbery at Adare. Quinn, also from Patrickswell, is serving a six-year sentence for conspiracy to commit a robbery.
Pearse McAuley, originally from Strabane, Co Tyrone, and Jeremiah Sheehy, from Limerick, and Kevin Walsh, from Limerick are also serving jail terms in connection with the manslaughter of Garda McCabe.