Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams today called for clear-the-air talks with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern to resolve their row over the Northern Bank robbery. While both men today continued to criticise each other from afar, they also sounded a more temperate note.
Just hours after the Taoiseach accused Mr Adams of behaving childishly, the West Belfast MP said Mr Ahern "should stop making these malicious and untrue allegations".
But he added: "I am prepared to sit down with the Taoiseach today, tomorrow at any time to try and sort these matters out.
"It is important that when we get to that point that genuine dialogue should be conducted in an atmosphere which makes success possible.
That is one of the reasons why we are so vigorous in defending ourselves from these accusations."
Mr Adams yesterday challenged Mr Ahern to order his arrest after the Taoiseach had claimed that Sinn Féin's negotiating team during December's peace talks had foreknowledge of the Northern Bank heist.
He said the Taoiseach "shut up or put up" after the Independent Monitoring Commission yesterday reported that senior members of Sinn Féin sat on the IRA's army council.
Mr Ahern said the challenge was "childish". He said Mr Adams could not deny the IRA was involved in criminality and punishment beatings.
"Letting on that the cigarettes weren't taken or that the drink wasn't taken or the petrol wasn't taken or the punishment beatings didn't happen, sure that's kind of childish stuff.
"All that we were stating was facts and now the facts have been collaborated by the garda, by the British government, by the PSNI, by everybody, so I mean it's a senseless thing.
He also sounded a conciliatory note, though, by saying energies should be focused on getting peace process back on track.
SDLP Policing Board member Mr Alex Attwood has said Mr Adams' call for calm was an admission that Sinn Fein had lost the argument over IRA criminality.
After a meeting with Chief Constable Hugh Orde, the West Belfast Assembly member said: "They [Sinn Féin] have lost the run of themselves in recent weeks and know this issue is not going away, you know.
Democratic Unionist vice chairman the Rev William McCrea said that following the bank raid, republicanism had never been more isolated.
"Can anyone remember when unionism was last backed by the British, the Irish and the United States governments and the international press?
"The pan-nationalist front which so dictated the pace and direction of the political process for years is in disarray whilst unionism, united around the policy position of the DUP, stands strong and self-assured."
PA