Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today said threats from dissident republicans against senior Sinn Féin leaders were of considerable concern.
And he revealed he had known about them for some time. Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, chief negotiator Martin McGuinness and policing spokesman Gerry Kelly have been forced to step up their personal security over fears of attack. And Mr Ahern said the threats were being taken seriously.
"There has been, from dissident republicans, there has been considerable threats of considerable concern on three leading members of Sinn Fein and we have been aware of that for some time," the Taoiseach said. "It is a threat that is being taken seriously by both governments."
Northern Secretary Peter Hain accused of being
Northern Ireland Secretaty Peter Hain said: "They [the dissident republicans] do not want a power-sharing executive running with all parties committed to supporting police and the rule of law".
"That is where the dissidents are at. We have seen firebomb attacks and other incidents and threats of this kind. I do not know the specifics of this, but what I do know is that there are those committed to the path of stability and peace and democracy as Sinn Féin's leaders are," Mr Hain said.
Democratic Unionist Policing Board member Ian Paisley Junior described the death threat as a pathetic attempt to get public sympathy. "The public will have little sympathy for a party that has brought these death threats upon themselves," the North Antrim Assembly member said.
"Given that Sinn Fein has encouraged a generation of republicans to hate the police and have done nothing on the ground to educate republicans away from the notion that the police are there to be attacked, is it any wonder that when unionism successfully makes them face up to the great issue of support for the rule of law, the police and the courts, that Sinn Fein find themselves with more problems?
"The fact is Sinn Fein, despite all their talk, have done nothing to encourage public support for policing hence their present difficulties. Sinn Fein will receive little to no sympathy for their present difficulties."
Sinn Féin is contemplating finally joining other Northern Ireland parties in endorsing the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists insist that Sinn Féin must publicly support the police and encourage their supporters to co-operate with officers if Mr Adams's party is to be a credible partner in government.
On Friday, Mr Hain and Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern set in train the British and Irish governments' timetable for reviving a power-sharing government by next March.
The first important deadline facing the parties will be on November 24th, when Mr Paisley and Mr McGuiness are due to be appointed in the Assembly as shadow first and deputy first ministers at Stormont.
Mr Adams criticised Mr Hain's handling of the political process since the St Andrews talks, and also the DUP's stance on policing.
"The DUP's position is contradictory in that it is saying Sinn Féin must sign up for policing - and we have no problem doing that when it measures up to accountable civic depoliticised policing - and then they say we can have no executive influence over this issue for a political generation," he said.
"Peter Hain's role in all of this has not been steady. . . . He has been less than surefooted and been quite pliable to the agenda of those who do not want this process to move beyond the current deadlock."
PA