THERE are no immediate plans for contacts at official level between the Government and Sinn, Fein, but the Taoiseach has not ruled out their resumption in the long term.
Mr Bruton, who was answering. Dail questions for the first time since the killing and wounding oft two gardai in Adare, said he would not want to make a decision on any Sinn Fein request for contact until he saw the terms in which it was made.
He repeated his criticism of the refusal by the vice president of Sinn Fein, Mr Pat Doherty, to condemn the murder of Det Garda Jerry McCabe, adding that it disgusted him.
Mr Des O'Malley (PD, Limerick East) asked if in view of what had happened in Adare, and the failure of Sinn Fein to condemn it, the Taoiseach would suspend discussions between his officials and Sinn Fein.
Mr Bruton said he had indicated his disgust in the strongest terms about Mr Doherty's failure to condemn the murder, adding that Mr Doherty's statement that he was not involved in the "politics of condemnation" was patently false. As had been demonstrated in the newspapers, the word "condemn" was frequently used by Sinn Fein in regard to all and sundry, including quite trivial matters.
"But they are not willing, it would appear, to condemn the killing of a member of the Gardai and that, frankly, disgusts me, I find it very hard to understand the mentality of a party, or an individual who stood for the Dail who cannot bring himself to condemn the killing that occurred in Adare. It causes me deep unease.
"However, I have worked a long time, as have others, to achieve a situation where we can have an IRA ceasefire, and we can have Sinn Fein participate in the political process, and I would not lightly abandon any course that could be constructive in that regard.
"But I can say that there are no plans at this moment for any discussions at official level with Sinn Fein. It is now, I believe, a matter for Sinn Fein to go to the IRA and ask the IRA to call a ceasefire. It is as simple as that now."
He said: "we have had enough violence in this land of ours for long enough. It achieves nothing." The bereaved family in Limerick will carry their suffering "with them to the end of their lives".
The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, asked it he could take it that no Government officials were engaged at this stage in trying to assist Sinn Fein in bringing its own thinking to a conclusion in trying to convince the IRA to have a ceasefire.
Mr Bruton replied that to the best of his knowledge no official meetings of any kind were planned at the moment. But there could be no definitive view on any requests that might be received. It was time flow for Sinn Fein to make up its mind.
Mr O'Malley asked the Taoiseach to say that all discussions at official level with Sinn Fein were suspended until there was a condemnation of the events in Adare and an IRA ceasefire.
Mr Bruton said he did not want to make categorical statements without any possibility of qualification at this juncture.
He repeated that he found it quite appalling that Mr Doherty was unable to condemn the killing of Det Garda McCabe. "I find it appalling that a man who, if he was successful, was willing to take his seat in this House, which is guarded by members of the Garda, could not use the words `I condemn'."
Mr O'Malley asked if the Taoiseach was satisfied that the chairmanship of Senator George Mitchell of the all party talks was on a basis as originally proposed by the two governments, or if his powers had been significantly diluted in order to get the Ulster Unionist Party, in particular, on board.
Mr Bruton said Senator Mitchell had assumed the chair and the participants were meeting to discuss procedural issues - and obviously they would be addressing, the role the chair would play.
Pressed further by Mr O'Malley, the Taoiseach said it had always been the case that, the talks would work on the basis of the parties being willing to agree.
