RTÉ's Charlie Bird spoke to one of the "Colombia Three", James Monaghan, on the Six One television news last evening.
The interview opened with a question about whether a deal had been done whereby they felt able to return to Ireland.
JM: No, not that I am aware, there hasn't been any deal of any sort. We returned as soon as we were able to return.
CB: How long are you back in Ireland and can you tell me how you got here?
JM: I'm back in Ireland only a few days and, as you can imagine, a lot of people in a lot of countries had to help us, and I can't endanger those people by giving any details about who they were or even where they were.
CB: Do you consider yourself on the run here in Ireland today?
JM: No. I wouldn't be giving this interview if I was on the run. I'm back and I would hope that I would be left in peace, and the Irish Government was quite good during the time we were away and the Taoiseach asked that we would be sent back while we were waiting on the appeal, so I would hope that they would continue in that vein and that they won't place any unnecessary things . . . But if it's the case that the guards or someone want to talk to us or want to talk to me that's all right.
CB: Some people might say that you were a leading member of the IRA, who went to Colombia who got involved with the Farc, with a rebel group out there involved in a bloody campaign in that country and that you deserve all you get.
JM: Well, obviously some people might say that, but as an ex-prisoner part of what the ex-prisoners' group Coiste na nIarchimí would do is we're trying to aid the ongoing peace process, and four years ago it hadn't come as far as it has now and we went to Colombia to see the peace process then in progress there.
CB: Can I press you just once again, can you put your hand on your heart and say you did not go to Colombia to train the Farc?
JM: Yes, with my hand on my heart I didn't go to train the Farc; I went because of the peace process, because of our own involvement in the peace process. I was delighted to go to Colombia and as I say I have no regrets about it.
CB: What do you think of the Farc and their tactics?
JM: I haven't got an opinion on the Farc and their tactics and I'm not going to get into a kind of a condemnation of any particular group.
CB: Will you now seek legal advice to see how you may stay in the country and how you might deal with your own case, because your appeal is still pending?
JM: Obviously I will get legal advice about it, but as far as I am concerned the Government would be very, very remiss to send anyone to a country like Colombia.
CB: The Americans weren't very happy with you going to Colombia so, in a sense, you may not have too may friends particularly in some of these areas tonight - do you accept that?
JM: I accept that they won't be happy. The Americans went out of their way to produce false evidence. So the Americans won't be happy for the reason that their false evidence didn't stick.