The Taoiseach indicated that he felt the president of Sinn Fein, Mr Gerry Adams, should have accepted an invitation to meet the Chief Constable of the RUC, Mr Ronnie Flanagan.

Mr Ahern was replying to the leader of Democratic Left, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, who said the Taoiseach should urge the Sinn Fein leadership and the republican movement in general to take a more generous approach to the peace process. Mr De Rossa said there was a pattern of resistance by the republican movement to normalisation in the North.

"It is reflected in the failure to identify the location of the bodies of the disappeared, in the refusal to move on the decommissioning issue, in their efforts to stop a football between an RUC team and Donegal Celtic, and in Gerry Adams's refusal to accept an invitation from Ronnie Flanagan of the RUC to meet him. This is the man who has been screaming to high heavens for years about this one and that one refusing to meet him."

Mr Ahern said all sides could show more generosity, adding: "I certainly do not quite understand why people refuse meetings that could lead to at least some progress. I think meetings like that would be helpful. Certainly people should take up the opportunity. Members of the House could take it that I lose no opportunity to urge people to communicate, talk and try and make progress with each other."

Earlier, Mr Austin Currie (FG, Dublin West) said more had been heard about the bodies of the disappeared in Chile than in this State. He asked if the Taoiseach believed, as Monsignor Denis Faul had suggested recently, that the IRA response to the issue was a charade. Mr Ahern said he did not know why the more positive information available on the issue in the early summer had turned to silence. He said he would continue to pursue the matter. But he believed his efforts through Sinn Fein sources, and in turn their efforts, were exhausted.

Mr Billy Timmins (FG, Wicklow) asked the Taoiseach to clarify any misunderstanding which might have taken place relating to the refusal or otherwise of the Army band to play at a Last Post commemoration ceremony in Ypres on Tuesday as part of the events to commemorate the Irishmen from north and south who died in the first World War.

Mr Ahern said he would be appalled if there was any sour note on the issue. He said the Government had agreed to have the band participating in yesterday's ceremony. "As far as the other event is concerned, to the best of my knowledge there was no invitation issued. So I am at a loss to know who gave this information. I have no knowledge of it, the Army has no knowledge of it, and the Minister for Defence has no knowledge of it."