The Taoiseach challenged the Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins, to call on protest groups from the UK not to come to Ireland for the EU accession ceremonies, in a row over the planned huge security operation for the event.
When Mr Ahern said that all Garda leave had been cancelled and the entire force would effectively be in operation over the bank holiday weekend, Mr Higgins accused him of encouraging "lurid security briefings" and hyping the prospect of violence for the ceremonies to mark the accession of 10 eastern European states to the EU.
He claimed that the Government wanted to hype the violence to keep people from coming to Ireland. Mr Ahern said that "what you could do really constructively, Deputy Higgins, is you could call on some of the organisations in the UK not to come here, because you know some of them".
An outraged Mr Higgins demanded to know what organisations he had anything to do with. Mr Ahern said he knew them well and "you should call on them not to come".
When Mr Higgins said the Taoiseach wanted violence, he replied that he did not and he challenged Mr Higgins to say that the "Socialist Party in Ireland does not want troublemakers here".
Mr Higgins stressed that "just like in Gothenburg, nobody should lift a finger or throw stones. They should not be provoked by security people deployed by the Government who are trying to provoke them into violence." Mr Ahern: "Just say that they should not come here. Why don't you tell them not to come here?" Mr Higgins: "Anybody who protests should do so in a disciplined and peaceful manner."
The row erupted when Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, expressed concern about security outside Dublin given that there would be 5,000 gardaí on duty in the capital. He feared there would be a "skeleton" force in the rest of the State.
