Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte has accused the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, of handing the DUP the perfect excuse to say no to powersharing, by making "bizarre and contradictory" comments on policing, in an interview in The Irish Times.
Mr Rabbitte called for urgent clarification of the Government's position on policing in the light of Mr Ahern's interview, which, he said, had given Sinn Féin the "out" they were looking for to continue obfuscating on policing.
Earlier in the Dáil, he questioned the Taoiseach about the interview, but Mr Ahern said he had not read it. He added, however, that he had always stated that policing was an enormously important issue in bringing normality to Northern Ireland and that was also the view of the British prime minister.
The Taoiseach added that the Government's position was that all parties in the North should subscribe to policing and he wanted Sinn Féin to recognise the PSNI "at the earliest possible date".
Mr Rabbitte also questioned the Taoiseach in relation to the suggestion by the Minister for Foreign Affairs that Michael McDowell's comments on IRA criminality were couched in terms of the political scene in the Republic. The Labour leader asked the Taoiseach if he agreed with the Minister's suggestion that Mr McDowell's approach was no more than politicking in this State. The Taoiseach replied that on the issue of criminality, he was at one with the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Later, Mr Rabbitte said that at such a crucial time, with the Assembly set to meet next week and important decisions to be made on the future of Northern Ireland, the Minister for Foreign Affairs may have damaged the chances of a deal by saying the Government neither expects nor desires significant progress from Sinn Féin on policing.
"He has handed the DUP the perfect excuse to continue to say 'no' to powersharing and given Sinn Féin the 'out' they were looking for to continue their obfuscation on policing."
The SDLP last night was keen to avoid a public clash with the Minister for Foreign Affairs over his remarks on policing.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, the spokesman said, had been "particularly on the ball" in opposing efforts by the British to change the composition of the policing board.
Ahern defends Minister's role: page 8