The ugliest and most grotesque crime of all was committed in Ballymena over the weekend. I am sure all sides of the House agree with me in deploring the grotesque killing. On behalf of the Labour Party I extend our condolence to the family of Michael McIlveen.

Does this killing not highlight the urgency of all sides of the community proposing their confidence in and expressing their support for policing in Northern Ireland? Was it not the settled expectation on all sides that some movement from Sinn Féin could be anticipated before the Executive would be reinstated? How can this position be reconciled with the interview given today by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern? The following bizarre remarks are attributed to him: "The policy issue is not a precondition for the November deal". He went on to dismiss the anti-criminality campaign of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as being merely politicking in the South. In the process he sent the message to Sinn Féin that it could now kick into "the middle distance" the issue of subscribing to policing and taking its positions on the boards in Northern Ireland.

In the context of the Lancaster House agreement in June 2004, the Taoiseach told this House that "support for policing from all sides of the community" was one of the four critical issues that needed to be tackled. As recently as January in the Farmleigh meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, the two Governments apparently concluded that they would like to see Sinn Féin confront the issue of policing once and for all. By the summer they wanted to see Sinn Féin give full recognition to the PSNI for the first time and join the policing boards, which would clear the way for the devolving of policing powers to a restored Executive in Northern Ireland. In December 2004 Mr. Adams told us he was prepared to sign up to all the political aspects of the agreement. How can that be reconciled with today's interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern? Does the Taoiseach agree with him and does he also dismiss the anti-criminality campaign of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as no more than politicking in the context of the South? Does the Taoiseach not agree that, as a result of this interview with the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, there is less prospect of the executive being reinstated because the signal is clear to the DUP that the Irish Government, at least, no longer requires movement on this critical issue to have the executive reinstated?

I have always stated that policing is an enormously important issue in bringing normality to Northern Ireland. It is one of the few major outstanding issues and I have never deviated from that view. The Prime Minister and I emphasised the importance of this in January and in March. We have also emphasised that we would ask all parties, particularly Sinn Féin, to be clear on the devolution of policing and the legislation to provide for that.

Sinn Féin has always said it would not sign up until it saw the legislation and proposals. In fairness to Sinn Féin although it is not for me to argue its case, but to answer the question, it has made clear for the past few years that it would be prepared to have a special Ard-Fheis to deal with the issue of policing and to see the issues around policing clarified on the clear understanding that it would see the legislation and the date for devolution of policing.

Policing is one of the areas that divides Sinn Féin and the DUP. While everybody wants to see policing accepted, the DUP's position is that it should be a long time before it is devolved. I did not read any interview, but the Government wants to see all parties in Northern Ireland subscribe to policing. We support the devolution of policing. We want to see the devolution Bill passed and that issue addressed.

I have always been at one with the Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Foreign Affairs on the issue of criminality. Nobody has been tougher on this issue and on Border activity than the Minister for Foreign Affairs, not only in his present position but in his political life for the past 20 years.

I never cease to be amazed at the interviews the Taoiseach reads and the ones he never notices. What he has just said cannot be reconciled with what the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, said. Presumably the Taoiseach is not saying that powers for policing and justice can be transferred to Northern Ireland before the executive is reinstated. The Taoiseach said clearly after the meeting in Farmleigh that this had to be dealt with and he expected movement this summer.

He or his Minister for Foreign Affairs seem to be quite prepared to reward Sinn Féin for its stance on policing while a party such as the SDLP, that took the risk when it was neither popular nor profitable and went on to the policing boards and defended very unpopular decisions, is to be left out in the cold. It is an extraordinary interview. If the Taoiseach has not read it, which I do not believe, although I do not like to make accusations, he ought to read it. He cannot say he agrees with the Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Foreign Affairs on the anti-criminality campaign because the Minister for Foreign Affairs makes it plain that he regards the utterances of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as no more than politicking and electoralism in the context of the South.

Has the Government changed the consistent and settled expectation that there would be movement on this critical issue to facilitate the reinstatement of the executive? Is that no longer the position? Does the Government generally regard Deputy McDowell as being off on a frolic of his own in his various utterances about Sinn Féin? Is subscribing to policing in Northern Ireland and participation in the policing boards some requirement of the November deal? What message does that send out to the DUP? Is the Taoiseach saying he expects the DUP to participate in the reinstatement of the institutions in Northern Ireland although the Minister for Foreign Affairs has clearly signalled to Sinn Féin that it need not bother and can kick into "the middle distance" the question of allegiance to policing in Northern Ireland?

I hope Deputy Rabbitte believes me when I say I did not read the interview. I will read it, but I do not need to read it to know that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has always been strong on criminality in all its forms and has never gone easy with anyone, on any side in Northern Ireland, or in his own Border region, who has been engaged in criminal activity. He has been one of the most outspoken people in that respect. I defend the Minister on that position. I worked with the SDLP and John Hume and Seamus Mallon when they courageously moved on policing and joined the policing boards. We worked with them on the legislative provisions to give those boards the necessary strength and to assist them. It is true that members of the SDLP, and other independent members, took great risks and were subjected to intimidation on these issues. The Government has always supported those people.

It has been the position of the Government that proper policing is needed to get away from vigilante activities and criminality in the North and to deal with the rising drugs problem. The only way to achieve that was to work on the basis of the Patten report, to reform what was the RUC and to develop the PSNI, as has happened. No police authority or organisation in the world is subject to so much scrutiny by an ombudsman and oversight officers and commissioners. Its leadership has worked extremely hard to implement that.

Sinn Féin and the other parties well know our position, as does the public. We would like to see them sign up to policing at the earliest possible date. Sinn Féin's position has been that when the devolution of policing Bill is passed and it sees the position in regard to working on the executive with the police it will deal with the issue. That is its stated position. There has been no deviation from, or change in that position.

Not having read the article I cannot tell whether the Deputy is taking this out of context but it is certainly out of context of what the Minister has often said at meetings and in this House. How that is interpreted in an article I cannot say until I have read it. Government policy on these issues is very clear. We want to see policing in Northern Ireland work and people involved in and committed to this. The Deputy asks what signal that sends out to the DUP. I remind the Deputy that the DUP's stated position is that policing should not be devolved for a considerable number of years, which is not compatible with the position of the two Governments.