THE British government has made no decision on the new evidence about Bloody Sunday, the Taoiseach said.

Mr Bruton said he had been told by the British ambassador, Mrs Veronica Sutherland, that "no options" in terms of the British response had been ruled out. If it transpired that the new evidence contained substantial and new material, it would be considered very carefully by the British authorities and appropriate action taken, the Taoiseach added.

He said that at his recent meeting with the ambassador he had invited her to provide him with a clarification of the British government's position. This clarification had made it clear that the evidence submitted had not been scrutinised and not been prejudged by the British government.

Mr Bruton said that there was very substantial evidence, involving immense detail derived from public records, searches, and examinations of various kinds of reports from people with different forms of expertise.

"It is important that it should be seen to be scrutinised carefully before any judgments are made," the Taoiseach said. He added that was the most credible way to proceed and the most likely to be successful in terms of an outcome.

The Fianna Fail spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Ray Burke, said there should be an international dimension to a new inquiry, which should be established sooner rather than later. Mr Bruton said this would fall to be considered favourably at the appropriate time when all of the evidence was assessed fully.

Asked by the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, if a new inquiry was likely, the Taoiseach said there should first be a thorough and dispassionate examination of the evidence. "I do not think that it would be in the interests of those concerned if one were to indicate one's view on the matter until the evidence has first been scrutinised."