Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said today he was 'delighted' that the Colombia Three had resurfaced in Ireland.
He insisted the arrival of Jim Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley in Ireland eight months after they absconded in Colombia would not cause a crisis in the Northern Ireland peace process.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams
Mr Adams blamed any current crisis on unionists stalling plans to kickstart power-sharing talks in the aftermath of the IRA's statement last month ending its armed campaign.
"This is not causing a crisis in the peace process," Mr Adams told RTE today. "What is causing a crisis in the political process is the refusal or the failure by the unionists to share power with the rest of us at this time."
Mr Adams said he only learned the Colombia Three were back in Ireland shortly before the news became public on Friday afternoon.
"I'm delighted the three of them are back. I'm delighted for themselves as individuals but I'm especially delighted for their families."
Unionist politicians have backed a call by Colombia's Vice President Francisco Santos to extradite the men back to South America. Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson said: "Those who harbour terrorists are terrorists."
The Tanaiste Minister for Health Mary Harney today also urged people who know where the men are to tell the gardai.
However Mr Adams insisted that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern should uphold the rights of the men as Irish citizens and not to extradite them back to Colombia. "These men should not be extradited under any circumstances whatsoever,"
"Most sensible people, if they're reasonable about these matters, would have a view that the Irish Government has a responsibility to uphold the rights of citizens, and that includes the rights of these three Irish citizens," he said.
"I would like to think that these three men and their families should be allowed to get on with their lives at this point. They've had a very traumatic last number of years.
"If it goes due process, whatever pressure there is, the Taoiseach of the day should stand up and say: 'we're not sending these men out of Ireland'.'"
Mr Ahern said yesterday that the Colombia Three had caused problems within the Northern Ireland peace process since they were seized in Bogota in August 2001 while travelling on false passports.
"Their return has created an enormous amount of difficulties as well. It's not helpful to the peace process in my view." He also denied suggestions he had prior knowledge of the men's return and that he sanctioned it as part of a deal brokered with the IRA.