The Taoiseach has called for further co-operation between European countries to combat human trafficking following the deaths of eight asylum-seekers in Wexford.
"The incident makes it clear, once again, that we and our European partners must increase our vigilance and share intelligence to ensure that the illegal trafficking which causes such misery is stopped," Mr Ahern said in a statement. He pledged that all State agencies would "spare no effort" in bringing those responsible to justice.
The smuggling and trafficking of people are among the offences covered by a proposed European Arrest Warrant to be considered by EU leaders at a meeting in the Belgian town of Laeken on Friday. The warrant, which will be debated in the Oireachtas before the EU summit, would make extradition for some offences automatic within the EU.
EU justice ministers failed to approve the warrant's introduction last week after Italy insisted that the list of offences should be reduced. However, diplomats are confident that the leaders, who have linked the measure to the international fight against terrorism, will agree a deal in Laeken.
Under the terms of the warrant, human trafficking and smuggling will carry prison sentences within an agreed range.
Trafficking, which is the more serious offence, is defined as smuggling people illegally across borders with the intention of exploiting them sexually or for financial gain.
It remains unclear whether those behind the operation that ended tragically in Rosslare intended to exploit the people they transported to Ireland.
If the ministers agree to introduce the warrant, it would not come into force until January 1st, 2004. In the meantime, national legislatures in the 15 member-states will revise domestic laws to facilitate the warrant.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, has secured a declaration guaranteeing that Irish authorities will only be obliged to extradite suspects to face trial or complete prison sentences. Government lawyers were concerned that the warrant should not be used to extradite for "investigative detention" people who were not yet charged with a crime. The present proposal, which is backed by 14 out of 15 member-states, would allow the warrant to be used for such offences as fraud as well as more serious crimes.
Italy wants the list to be reduced to just six offences - terrorism, organised crime, people trafficking, arms and drug smuggling and the sexual abuse of minors.
The Italian government has denied that its misgivings are linked to Spanish allegations of financial irregularities against Italy's prime minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi.
Italy insists that its concern is to protect the liberty of all citizens rather than Mr Berlusconi's personal interests.
The Taoiseach led the political reaction to the Wexford tragedy saying he utterly condemned those responsible.
"The criminals involved in the cruel trade of trafficking in human beings have perpetrated yet another atrocity on the innocent victims of their greed."
Mr Ahern offered his sympathies to the relatives of those who suffered in the "appalling tragedy". He said the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking Act), 2000, which was introduced by Mr O'Donoghue last year, would be of significant benefit to the authorities here in pursuing the criminals involved.
The Fine Gael justice spokesman, Mr Alan Shatter, said what occurred in Wexford was "tragically inevitable".
"This State and the rest of Europe have to come to terms with putting in place coherent and co-ordinated procedures for the admission across the European Union of economic migrants. It is not an issue in respect of which individual European States should apply different policies."
There was a need, he said, for more co-ordination among police forces against the criminal gangs who are involved in human trafficking.
"The laws across Europe lack co-ordination. We need a concerted approach through Interpol."
He said Ireland was one of four EU countries currently enacting or which had not yet enacted, legislation for a DNA database, which is part of the effort to make a more co-ordinated approach against these criminals.
Mr Brendan Howlin, the Labour spokesman on justice, said there were a number of lessons which needed to be learned from the tragedy.
"There is clearly a need for much more thorough checking of containers at the point of departure and arrival, and for closer co-operation between the authorities in different countries to try and prevent such tragedies."
Green Party spokesman Mr John Gormley said his party wanted a full inquiry into the tragedy so that the traffickers would be brought to justice.
The deaths of the asylum- seekers, he said, was a "shocking event" which brought home to people the desperate existence of many asylum-seekers and economic migrants.
"In the long term we need to realise that building a fortress Europe can only lead to further tragedies," he said.