The Taoiseach denied that yesterday's Government meeting with Sinn Fein represented an interference in the Northern election.

Mr Ahern said that there had been a "low-key breakfast meeting, lasting 40 minutes, between the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, and the Northern Ministers for Education and Health, Mr Martin McGuinness and Ms Bairbre de Brun.

This was followed by a separate meeting involving the Ministers for Education and Health, which lasted for 30 minutes, he added. "The meetings went well. The breakfast discussion was informal and short and included a number of issues."

Mr Ahern was replying to the Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, who described the meeting as "high profile," and asked if it could be construed as an interference by the Government in the election process in the North.

He asked Mr Ahern to comment on the objections made by the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr David Trimble, to the meeting. He also asked if it was a coincidence that the meeting was arranged on the day the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, was meeting the former US President, Mr Bill Clinton, in Derry.

Mr Ahern said there was little media interest in the meeting until Mr Trimble's protest. "No formal press conference was arranged for the reason that it was to be kept low-key, although the Ministers were doorstepped as they emerged from the meeting.

"The line taken by all the Ministers was low-key and constructive, stressing the meeting was simply part of the ongoing process of North-South co-operation and to ensure momentum was sustained."

Asked by Mr Noonan when the meeting had been arranged, the Taoiseach said it had been requested several weeks ago. He added that the SDLP was aware the meeting was taking place.

He said there was no connection between the meeting and the "high-level meeting" taking place in Derry later in the day with Mr Hume and others, including the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke.

"I was to have a low-level meeting with Mr Trimble a few weeks ago, which turned into a very high-level one. It was meant to happen without the press being informed . . . I do not wish to involve myself in that one way or another."

The Taoiseach said he shared concerns expressed by the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, about punishment beatings.

Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said punishment attacks were not an answer to anti-social behaviour, a point he had made on numerous occasions.

"Let me reaffirm there are no links between those who carry out these attacks and the party I represent in this House."