WORDS were exchanged with the ferocity of bullets at stages during the debate on the framework for the decommissioning of paramilitary arms.
Hostilities were opened when Mr Michael Mulcahy (FF) dismissed the measure, saying it was being discussed in circumstances which seemed to be a million miles from the reality of weapons decommissioning. The Bill was threadbare and represented the low water mark of the Government's contribution to the peace process, he said, was as far off as ever because John Major had changed the goal posts following the introduction of the IRA ceasefire.
The fact of the matter was that a certain atmosphere, a certain series of relationships and a certain cultural social historical mix existed in Northern Ireland which could fuel and flame an organisation like the IRA.
Stressing the need for a sense of realism about decommissioning, Mr Mulcahy referred to steps which had been taken to resolve bitter political disputes in areas such as the Middle East and South Africa.
It was naive in the extreme he believed, to think that people who had been enemies for so long and who had engaged in cycles of violence should lay down their arms in advance of what they saw as some kind of compromise.
A former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, had clearly stated in December 1994, that the peace process would be endangered if his Government was brought down. "I believe he was correct."
Taking issue with Mr Mulcahy an angry Mr Sam McAughtry (Ind) said the Fianna Fail man was on record as describing himself as a member of a republican party which opposed by constitutional means the right of the British to be in Northern Ireland.
In an indignant onslaught, Mr McAughtry declared: "I would like to tell the senator I am British and I intend to stay British and I intend to work as hard as I possibly can to keep Northern Ireland British. I am joined in this by around 900,000 Protestants and by approximately 200,000 Northern Catholics who, like myself, want to be Irish, but also want to remain under the UK system of government."
It was no good senators pretending they were entirely opposed to violence and then laying the blame for what was happening at the door of the British Prime Minister, while declining to condemn the IRA.
During the ceasefire, that organisation had upgraded its preparedness for a resumption of the so called war. Individual members had been blooded by being shown how to kill petty criminals who deserved no more than six months in prison.
Mr Mulcahy had claimed the IRA existed for certain reasons. "I thought they existed to force me and people like me into a united Ireland.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, expressed concern at some of the tone of Mr Mulcahy's criticism. It was important, she stressed, that a message was not sent out that because politicians were not moving as fast as Mr Mulcahy or others would like them to, that that was a justification for anyone to use violence. It would be a dangerous message to send to the IRA and it would also be dangerous to give the impression that because Mr Reynolds was no longer Taoiseach that that was a reason why the ceasefire had not continued.
Ms Ann Gallagher (Labour) said she was appalled at the extent of sectarian bigotry which still existed in the North. The abuse Mass attenders at Harryville in Ballymena had to contend with was nothing short of disgraceful. It amounted to blatant racism and sectarianism. Surely UK laws must be enforced to end this animalism which was redolent of events which took place during the Third Reich in Hitler's Germany. This mentality was matched only by the sick minds of the IRA as exhibited by its capacity to shoot human beings in the back of the head.
Mr Shane Ross (FG) suggested that the House formally welcome the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume back to the land of the politically sane.
Mr Hume had realised that he had been supping for years with the devil, said Mr Ross. His late conversion was very welcome. He had apparently come back on board "and joined the rest of us in ostracising Sinn Fein".
Mr David Norris (Ind) said he was glad Mr Hume had recognised that those who backed Sinn Fein electorally would not necessarily ask themselves if their votes had "pulled the trigger".
The Bill passed all stages.
Commenting after the Bill's passage, Mr Mulcahy told the Minister and Mr McAughtry that it was wrong to use the tactic of trying to tar constitutional republicans and the IRA with the same brush, by insinuating that those who believed in peaceful means sympathised with the IRA or encouraged them in any way.