The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, yesterday defended the State's decision to ask Special Olympic athletes from SARS-affected countries not to travel to Ireland next month, writes Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent.
Mr Ahern said the Government had to follow the advice of its expert group which had been set up to advise on the issue.
He said the group comprised "the leading people in the country in this area".
They had formed a unanimous view that the athletes should not come. "Then there's not really much decision in it for the Government. You back it and that's what we did," he said.
He added that the decision wasn't unique. "There have been a number of other sporting groups around the world, obviously not as big, but we have had other competitions in the last few weeks where the events were either cancelled or countries pulled out or in particular the Chinese did not travel so I think we have to realise this was not a unique experience of this country.
"Other people have had to make similar decisions over the last two months," he said.
"We would have to follow the same criteria if there was a large group of people coming here for a business mission," he added.
Speaking earlier in Cork, Mr Martin rejected claims the decision was discriminatory.
"I would reject that totally. This is not an issue of discrimination against any particular group," he said. However, he said he fully understood the concerns and anger at the decision by the Games organising committee. It was "a very difficult and sad decision" to have to make, he said.
"I mean no one wants to prevent young people from participating in Olympic Games like this . . . so I understand fully people's genuine concerns and disappointment and profound disappointment about the fact that participants from the affected countries can not take part.
"So I don't have any difficult with the kind of comments that have been made.
"I understand that fully, but nonetheless, I think I am obliged to follow the advice of the expert group," he added.
He said that notwithstanding the decision that had been made, he had acceded to requests from the international Special Olympics committee and the Games national organising committee to make submissions to the Department of Health's SARS expert group. These will be made next week.
Mr Martin also said it was open to countries to exceed WHO guidelines for the management of events such as the Special Olympics.
The guidelines state that the best defence is "not exclusion but good management of the situation" in the unlikely event that someone attending became sick with SARS.
"It has always been open to member-states to bring in measures pertaining to SARS that could exceed WHO guidelines because WHO guidelines by definition are world global guidelines," Mr Martin said.