The Irish and British governments have signalled their determination to hold the door open for future Sinn Féin involvement in the political process, despite accepting privately that the prospect of early progress towards a deal has now gone. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, and Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor, report
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said yesterday he believed that when he was involved in political negotiations with the Sinn Féin leadership before Christmas, they knew that the Northern Bank robbery was being planned. "This was a Provisional IRA job. This was a job that would have been known to the political leadership."
The Sinn Féin chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, complained that Mr Ahern's remarks were a "direct attack on the integrity" of Sinn Féin leaders Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness. "Many nationalists and republicans will be deeply disappointed that the Taoiseach has chosen to believe the British and to jump on to the DUP bandwagon of blame."
Mr Ahern described the IRA's alleged involvement in the £26.5 million robbery as "a very serious setback" which had undermined public confidence once again.
"That makes life difficult, but the question is do we keep going. We have to, but it doesn't make life easy."
Notwithstanding the atmosphere of bitter recrimination, Sinn Féin was in contact with Dublin and Downing Street over the weekend, and both governments remain convinced that devolution can only work with Sinn Féin in the administration.
But for that to happen Sinn Féin and the IRA must now more transparently demonstrate that republicans are eschewing paramilitarism and criminality, according to the governments.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said yesterday: "It can't be 99 per cent giving up violence. And it certainly can't be 80 per cent giving up violence, it has got to be 100 per cent."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, echoed the Taoiseach's remarks.
Asked if the door was still open to Sinn Féin in relation to future political talks, he said: "Oh, of course ... we must keep at it."
Mr Dermot Ahern will meet Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, later this week to assess the situation, and the Taoiseach and British Prime Minister are expected to meet within a fortnight.
However, sources in both governments indicated that there was no current plan to revive the political process in the wake of the PSNI chief constable's statement that he believed the IRA had carried out the robbery of the Northern Bank.