Perhaps the Taoiseach might clarify the remarks made last night by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, on the "Questions and Answers" programme. He stated that the very substantial act of decommissioning carried out by the IRA last October was insufficient for both the British and Irish Governments. As I have not heard that statement before from the Taoiseach or any other Minister, does the Taoiseach agree with his Minister? Was that statement on his part correct, and was it an insufficient act in the view of the Irish Government? Is that the case even though the act was carried out following a sequence of actions and statements agreed between Sinn Féin, the UUP and both Governments? Was the act not carried out under the direct aegis of General de Chastelain of the IICD and witnessed and verified by him as a very substantial act of decommissioning — the most substantial act carried out by the IRA during the entire process? One must remember that there had been another act of decommissioning only the previous April.

Is it not the case that the recent sequence of remarks by both the Taoiseach and some of his other colleagues should be viewed as unintentional errors, given that they seem collectively to have slipped into a careless mode? In that vein, regarding the Taoiseach's remarks this afternoon, when he said that the current difficulties have nothing to do with the British Government, can he——

The two minutes are concluded.

Can the Taoiseach clarify that statement, particularly in the light of the British Government's failure to publish the Cory report or act on collusion, demilitarisation, the equality agenda, the Irish language or the recommendations on policing? In conclusion——

Deputy, please conclude.

Does the Taoiseach not agree that——

The Deputy has gone well over time. In fairness to the Taoiseach, who must reply within a limited time, I ask Deputy Ó Caoláin to resume his seat.

——what we need is progress by all parties to the agreement, including republicans, I emphasise?

The Deputy has asked me several unrelated questions——

They are all very much related.

——but I will try to answer them quickly. On the last point, the Deputy was here today and knows what I said. I said as far as dealing with the twin issues of the ending of paramilitarism by all parties who were involved in it, and making progress on cross-party working in the institutions, these are not matters for the British Government. However, all the other matters are, and it is on that point that I made a quite clear reference. The British Government will not change either of those points. All the other issues that I mentioned, such as criminal justice and equality, are relevant. I did not see the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, on television last night, but colleagues tell me that he was referring to past issues of decommissioning and not the act which occurred in October. I did not see it, so I cannot say if that is correct.

Last October, there was agreement between the two Governments and General John de Chastelain and the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning that the act of decommissioning was substantive. That was and remains the stated position. It was considered satisfactory and in line with what we expected. It was a commitment with which the two Governments were happy. Unfortunately, it did not satisfy others. Certainly, there was no difficulty with the two Governments about it.

I do not believe we are slipping in matters. The Deputy is asking me questions and when I am asked a question, I will answer it to the best of my ability. Sometimes the answer does not suit everybody but I do not consider that slipping into error. Unfortunately, one thing I have not yet managed to master in my political career is to decide what questions journalists ask me.

I thought the Taoiseach was a master of everything. I welcome the Taoiseach's clarification that the actions of the IRA last October were substantial. That is the official view of the Government. Clearly, there appears to be a dichotomy or difference of opinion here. How many tonnes of weapons that were imported by British Government agents, acting at the behest of the British Government through its various arms, to arm the loyalist paramilitaries, have been decommissioned? These arms have been and continue to be used against innocent members of the Nationalist community. These actions continue almost daily and are broadly overlooked by the majority of those in the media who are so taken up with the frenzy to blame all impasses and difficulties in the process on republicans. How many arms have been decommissioned by——

The Deputy's minute has concluded.

——the Official IRA, whose colleagues or former colleagues are senior voices in this House today? How many tonnes of weapons were decommissioned by those in the IRA who supported Fianna Fáil when it first came into this House——

The Deputy's minute has concluded.

——or ascended to Government in 1932, an ascension that was secured with the help of the IRA of the time? We have to see this in its total historical context. Will the Taoiseach not agree that it is very——

I ask Deputy Ó Caoláin to resume his seat. It is not possible to conduct Leaders' Questions if the questioner continues to ask a series of questions after the minute is concluded and the Taoiseach is obliged to answer those questions in one minute. There must be fair play for everybody.

I would like to be able to cover all the answers since 1926. My predecessors could not extract themselves from the armed movement so they decided to set up a political party. They decided that after giving it three years of effort they should try another way. Perhaps Deputy Ó Caoláin, after ten years of effort, should take that into account and we could all move on.

I agree that we should try to implement the Good Friday Agreement in total. We should try to move on from armed conflict by all participants and try to decommission, demilitarise and implement the agreement in total. This brings me back to what is delaying progress at present——

The Taoiseach's minute has concluded.

——which is to secure an end to paramilitarism. That would allow us to get agreement on an inclusive executive and, hopefully, that will work successfully.

For the second time today the Taoiseach——

Deputy Ó Caoláin should allow the Taoiseach to continue.

——has prioritised one issue and made it a precondition to progress and that is in contravention of the Good Friday Agreement.