THE Government would conduct a serious and fundamental review of its relationship with Sinn Fein in the light of what had happened, the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, said yesterday.
Sinn Fein and the IRA now had the responsibility to find themselves, in their own way, the words and the deeds that would convince people that there never again would be violence of this kind in pursuit of political objectives, he said.
In a hard hitting interview on, BBC television, Mr Bruton asked. "How could a political party be committed to peace and not condemn the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe? How could a political party continue to associate with the IRA after the appalling events in Manchester? That is the question they must answer for themselves, not for me to answer that for them.
"The questions now need to be put by the people in Sinn Fein to themselves about the viability of their peace strategy in the light of what has happened. It is for them to answer that question for themselves now."
Asked how long he was prepared to give them to come up with an answer, the Taoiseach said. "Obviously, we are having to review very seriously and fundamentally our relationship with Sinn Fein, with the republican movement as a whole, in the light of what has happened.
"Irish governments in the past have shown great resolution since the State was founded in 1921 in being willing to face down the amen of violence in this State. We have never been lacking in that regard in the past."
He continued. "But in recent times we have been trying, I believe entirely justifiably, and this applies to the previous government as well as this one, to find a way of bringing the republican movement, which previously was attached to violence, into ordinary democratic politics. That was always going to be a difficult task. There were going to be discouragements, that was clear.
"What has happened now is far more than a mere discouragement. This is a slap in the face to people who have been trying, perhaps against their better instincts, to give Sinn Fein a chance to show that they could persuade the IRA to reinstate the ceasefire."
Mr Bruton said what was needed now was an unconditional and irrevocable ceasefire. There could be no going back this time. There could be no looking over the shoulder to the option of violence if things didn't go their way.
He said it was important to make the point that, at this juncture, it was for Sinn Fein to convince the rest of their commitment. "It is not for us to, tell them exactly what words they must use ... They must take the responsibility themselves now to find the words themselves that will convince the people of Britain and the people of Ireland that there will be no more Manchesters, no Adares" he added.
Calling lord "visible commitment on that point", Mr Bruton said it was for them, in the lights of what they had accepted in the Mitchell principles, to demonstrate what that commitment meant in practice so that people would be convinced.
The Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, said the bombing was "deplorable" in a week when the political representatives of 95 per cent of the people of this island were "pain fully" trying to find a democratic accommodation to solve the political problems of Northern Ireland. While this was going on others were plotting to bring injury and destruction to the streets of Manchester.
There was no justification for placing a car bomb in a city crowded with visitors for the European championships.
"This outrage, coupled with the belated admission that members of the IRA murdered Det Garda McCabe in Adare, highlights the stark contrast between Sinn Fein rhetoric and the IRA action. The time has now come for the republican leadership to take a decision on which path they intend to take. The moment of truth has come equivocation must end," said Mr De Rossa.
In a statement Mr George Mitchell, Gen John de Chastelain and Mr Harri Holkeri "strongly and unequivocally" condemned the bombing.
"This reprehensible act comes at a crucial time, just days after multi party talks began. We believe that the way to peace is not through violence, but rather through meaningful dialogue," said the statement.