THERE had been no attempt by the Government to play down IRA involvement in the immediate aftermath of the killing and wounding of gardai in Adare, the Minister of State for Justice said.

Mr Austin Currie said that "neither the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, nor I, nor any officials of her Department or persons acting on her behalf issued any directive or advice to the Garda on the investigation,

He was asked by the PD spokeswoman on justice, Ms Liz O'Donnell, if there was any link between the decision of the Garda Commissioner, Mr Patrick Culligan, to make a "very unusual public statement," saying the Garda was absolutely certain that the IRA was involved, and "the information and reports" that the Government had been trying to play it down.

Mr Currie said that there had been rumour mongering, some of it deliberate. "The Garda Commissioner did what the Garda Commissioner felt it was right to do. He had my complete support in what he said. He was the one who took the decision to say what he did."

Pressed on the issue by the Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, Mr Currie said anybody familiar with the consistent condemnation by members of the Government of the death and destruction perpetrated by the IRA could be in no doubt as to the readiness, at the earliest possible time, of the Taoiseach and his Ministers to put responsibility for the murderous attack firmly where it should lie.

"There was no equivocation about putting responsibility for it on the shoulders of the Provisional IRA as soon as the Government was in a position to do so."

Mr O'Donoghue asked if Department of Justice officials had telephoned Garda Headquarters at lunchtime on Friday, June 7th, suggesting they should "hold back" on the line that the IRA was responsible for the incident. This had been widely reported.

Mr Currie said Mr O'Donoghue should supply him with the details of the alleged telephone call. He added that he was amazed at the facility with which Mr O'Donoghue had come into the House and peddled rumours relating to serious and tragic circumstances.

"I resent the suggestion that the Department of Justice would attempt to interfere with the responsibilities of the gardai."

Asked by Mr O'Donoghue and Ms O'Donnell about comments made by the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, in a radio interview, Mr Currie said it was based on contacts Mr Noonan had had with the Department of Justice.