ON THE North, Mr Ahern was asked about his comment last Friday that the role of the Taoiseach should be to primarily represent nationalists.
Mr Ahern said Tony Blair had said he was standing by the unionists and would be protecting them. That was understandable. "Therefore, the Government here has to represent the nationalists and that is the primary role of the Taoiseach, but not exclusively."
The nationalists felt alienated; they wanted to see a Taoiseach who understood their special position, they wanted somebody to stand up for them. It was difficult to go anywhere until they saw an end to violence.
Asked if as Taoisceach he had let the nationalists down, Mr Bruton said he disagreed fundamentally with what Mr Ahern said. "I believe the unionists are Irish people and the Irish Taoiseach has to look after them as Irish people. I believe the people in the Shankill Road are just as Irish as those in the Falls Road. It is not a question of religion."
They had to build a bridge. He had always stood up for nationalists. At Drumcree last year, he had said some tough things to the British government. His mission was to end violence. He was elected in 1969 and one of his friends in Monaghan was Billy Fox who was murdered by the IRA. He wanted to see an end to that sort of violence.
Mr Ahern said everyone wanted to see an end to violence.
Mr Bruton said the Government had to be firm and no Taoiseach should be in any doubt about any meeting with Sinn Fein while the IRA was in business.
Mr Ahern said as Taoiseach, he would do every possible thing to build bridges and find solutions to build bridges between the nationalists and unionists.
"There is no place for violence and no place for murder of any sort," he said. "The only reason that I would talk to Sinn Fein on an official level would be to move them away from violence. I would talk to them if they were willing to move away from violence."
It had taken 28 years to reach the position they were in now. This opportunity would last for only a few months and then everybody would be back to where they were before 1994.
Mr Bruton said he did not trust Sinn Fein until it proved it could stop violence. He knew it could change. Most republicans had supported violence and left it behind them, he believed Sinn Fein could do that too. It was not a question of saying if things did not go well, it would resort to violence again.
Mr Ahern said it must be assisted in moving away from violence. It had to carry out that role.
Mr Bruton said he was responsible for getting the talks under way on June 10th last year. He got things started. Ever since, the republican movement had not been able to make up its mind, and sign up to the Mitchell principles.
Mr Ahern said: "The republican movement was willing to move forward in 1994 and will move forward, but a whole year has gone. The British government were the ones who opened the way to Sinn Fein.
Mr Bruton commented: "I thought it was all down to your ministerial colleague, Mr Reynolds." Mr Ahern said Mr Reynolds was the Taoiseach, it was the British government which was handling the talks.