THE Taoiseach said he would be happy to meet the political representatives of the loyalist paramilitaries. "I have no problem with meeting any of the political parties that wish to meet me," Mr Bruton added.

He was replying to the PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, who asked if he intending meeting the Progressive Unionist Party and the Ulster Democratic Party in view of the widespread concern that the loyalist ceasefire might be about to end.

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach and the Fianna Fail leader agreed that support for violence, or threats of violence would preclude parties from participating in the all party talks on June 10th.

"There is no suggestion that I am aware of from any party here that those who are currently engaging in violence, or threatening violence, would be represented at the talks," said Mr Bruton. "I think it is also the case that there is a common commitment to the Downing Street Declaration among the parties here."

He was replying to Mr Bertie Ahern, who said that no constitutional nationalist party, North or South, had advocated the inclusion of parties associated with organisations engaged in ongoing violence in the all party talks. There was no basis for the suggestion that democratic opposition to violence, or threats of violence, was weakening in the Dail, or elsewhere for that matter, the Fianna Fail leader added.

When Mr Ahern said that organisations which made bomb threats would be precluded from the talks, Mr Bruton said: "I consider there is no difference really between making threats and the reality, because they have the same political purpose and the same intimidatory nature. I think it is very important that there should be neither violence nor the threat of violence. That is something that applies on all sides."

There were sharp exchanges between the Taoiseach and the PD leader when Ms Harney suggested that Mr Bruton's speech last Thursday, in which he sharply criticised Mr Ahern for his Arbour Hill speech, was "unhelpful and insensitive at this timed".

Mr Bruton said he believed it was very important that there be honest and open discussion. "I do not believe the cause of peace is served by failing to identify honest disagreement where it exists."

He believed the points he made about the necessity for balance, and the dangers of lack of balance in statements about the matter, were reasonable and were necessary for him to say in the context of remarks made earlier.

Pressed by, Ms Harney, the Taoiseach suggested that she should read his speech and see if she disagreed with it or not. He had put forward a point of view on pluralism with which she had agreed on many occasions.

"I believe that the deputy is being somewhat opportunistic on this occasion ... in the way she has raised the matter, particularly as she now seems to be the only one who wants to prolong the debate."

The Fianna Fail spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Ray Burke, said that last week the Taoiseach had made the point that he saw the carrying out of forensic tests being one of the issues that needed to be undertaken. This, he added, was in direct contradiction of the Mitchell report, which said that decommissioning should be exempt under law from forensic examination.

Accusing Mr Burke of misreading what he had said, the Taoiseach noted he had said last week that certain changes would need to be made in legislation regarding the carrying out of forensic tests.

For a ban to be imposed, changes in legislation would be necessary, he added. "There is no plan to make provision for the carrying out of tests on decommissioned weapons. But for that assurance to be given, changes in legislation are necessary."

He said he had equally made the point that there were certain possibilities, given the State's written Constitution, that some people might claim they were being in some way disadvantaged in a potential defence by the absence of such tests.