The Taoiseach expressed concern about attacks on nationalists in the North.

Mr Ahern said that there was a very worrying pattern of sectarian violence against Catholics across northern and eastern parts of Northern Ireland.

"There has been the horrific murder of Rosemary Nelson and the issues of concern to which it gives rise. The continuing sectarian harassment and intimidation of the people of the Garvaghy Road are entirely unacceptable." At this stage, he said, the names of about 10 relatively small groups involved in attacks were known. "The information I have, which is not the best, is that they are small groups, some new, others breakaway." The Taoiseach was speaking during the debate on the Constitution (Amendment of Time) Bill, which passed all stages. The Bill was introduced to provide for an extension by a year of the implementation of the amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution under the Belfast Agreement.

Mr Ahern said that, regrettably, the Belfast Agreement had not yet entered into force, and it was clear that it would not do so by June 2nd, when the constitutional amendments were due to become effective.

The promised extension was not an indication of failure of the agreement, he said. "The possibility of needing it was indeed part of the agreement. Nor is it to be taken as a signal that the Government believes that 12 months will be needed to overcome current difficulties."

The Taoiseach said it was important to understand that the Bill would not put back for 12 months the entry into effect of the amendments to Articles 2 and 3. What it proposed was an extension of time within which the Government could make the declaration envisaged. The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, expressed concern at the upsurge in loyalist violence against Catholics. "There is a sense within the community generally that individuals or elements within some, if not all, of the loyalist paramilitary organisations are now involved in attacks upon vulnerable Catholic communities and on the nationalist community in general. The way in which the RUC deals with this threat will have considerable influence on the attitude of the minority community in policing matters."

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said that the murder of Rosemary Nelson, the continuation of punishment attacks and increased targeting by paramilitaries were all reminders that they could not afford to allow the process to fail. Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said that a crisis existed because the Ulster Unionist Party had attempted to rewrite the Belfast Agreement, inserting the precondition of decommissioning of IRA weapons prior to Sinn Fein's entry to the executive.