Ahern criticises comments
Mr Ahern was asked about the Ulster Unionist Party leader’s comments that Catholicism and anti-Britishness were the only reason for the existence of the Republic of Ireland. The UUP leader’s comments came in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times newspaper published last week.
The Taoiseach said he had previously reacted to similar statements by Mr Trimble by utterly rejecting such claims.
Mr Ahern said Mr Trimble later usually failed to enlarge upon his comments and/or defend them. “I don’t think he believes a word of it. But clearly, like other members of the House, I wish he wouldn’t say it,” Mr Ahern told the Dáil.
A UUP spokesman claimed on Tuesday that the comments were taken out of context.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach also told the Dáil the British authorities had relayed documentation to Mr Justice Barron on the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings.
Mr Ahern said he did not know what was in the documents.
However, the Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy had complied with the Government’s request for better co-operation.
The bombings in the capital and Monaghan in May 1974 caused the deaths of 33 people and 120 were seriously hurt.
There have been repeated claims the bombings were the work ofLoyalist paramilitaries with at least some support from British secret services.
The Taoiseach also said that round-table talks involving all parties which are due to start in Belfast today would not mean a re-negotiation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. He said the talks were on the basis of achieving full implementation of the agreement.
Mr Ahern said that ideally they wanted to relaunch the Belfast government and Assembly before Christmas.
He conceded this may be difficult to achieve but added February was the outside deadline as assembly elections were fixed for May.
The election campaign would be quickly followed by the start of the North’s marching season.
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