FIANNA Fail has strongly rejected claims by the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, and the Leader of the Seanad, Mr Maurice Manning, that its criticism of the Taoiseach's handling of the peace process is helping the IRA.
The Fianna Fail spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Ray Burke said yesterday it was "ironic" that he and his leader, Mr Ahern, were coming under attack from Government sources since senior figures in his party had canvassed just last weekend for the SDLP.
Senator Manning had earlier said it was a matter of great regret that Mr Burke "could not maintain all party support here for the SDLP in this last week of their general election campaign".
Saying he had been campaigning with the SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, in Newry, Senator Manning said it was of no help at all "to hear equivocation from here between the SDLP and Sinn Fein - especially from a senior figure in a main Opposition party".
"It is particularly unhelpful to hear such ambivalence while the military wing of Sinn Fein arrogantly refuses to call for a ceasefire," he added.
Following Mr Ahern's claim on Sunday that the Taoiseach had "permitted a fatal prevarication" by the British Government on a "commitment" to allow Sinn Fein into talks, Mrs Owen said Mr Ahern had "consciously or unconsciously" provided excuses for the gunmen and bombers who returned to violence.
However, Mr Burke said he "absolutely rejected" any imputation that he or his party was ambivalent" about support for the SDLP. Mr Ahern had, last March, been the first politician in the Republic to set out his views on electoral support for Sinn Fein in the forthcoming British general election, he added.
Supporting Mr Ahern's criticism of the Government's handling of the peace process, Mr Burke said Mr Ahern had written in an article in the Irish News that nationalist voters had the opportunity to make it clear to all who canvassed their support that they wanted the IRA campaign to stop for good.
"If the IRA are not prepared to place total confidence in the Sinn Fein political leadership before the election, how can we be assured that they will do so afterwards? People should not let themselves be fobbed off with general assurances about a commitment to peace when what is needed is a new ceasefire without buts or ifs," Mr Ahern wrote.
According to Mr Burke, the Irish News article demonstrated that his party was totally opposed to IRA violence. Asked if he believed that a vote for Sinn Fein amounted to a vote for the IRA he said he fully supported Mr Ahern's comments.
Mr Ahern told The Irish Times yesterday: " I set out my position clearly in the Irish News article last March. [I said ] I did not believe people should support those involved in violence." The Fianna Fail leader continued: "What really annoys me is that the Taoiseach used my words when he met John Hume, and praised me in the Dail for what I said."