Sinn Fein last night denied it had stage-managed a triumphalist entry by the Balcombe Street gang, on temporary release from Portlaoise Prison, to its special ardfheis in Dublin last weekend.
Responding to the Taoiseach's assertion in the Dail that the appearance of the gang could have been handled in a "calmer way", a Sinn Fein spokeswoman said there was no intention for it to be triumphalist.
And amid mounting concern about the Belfast Agreement in London and Dublin the Grand Orange Lodge last night repeated its rejection of the agreement in what it described as its final and definitive statement before the referendum.
"We had hoped that it would offer such a real prospect of peace that we could positively endorse it. Sadly that has not been the case," the statement said. In the Dail the Fine Gael leader, Mr Bruton, referred to the effects of the triumphalist scenes at the Sinn Fein ardfheis on unionist voters in the North and the victims of paramilitary violence.
He also questioned the Taoiseach's subsequent comment that people concerned at the impact of such scenes seemed to have nothing to say but No. Regarding his reference to people who said No, the Taoiseach stated that he was responding to a question raised about what Mr Robert McCartney, leader of the UK Unionist Party, said on Morning Ireland on Monday. Journalists who questioned Mr Ahern, however, said that he was not asked about Mr McCartney.
Mr Ahern told the Dail he would not remain silent for 10 days and watch Mr McCartney misinterpret and mislead decent unionists "with whom I have been glad to engage in recent years".
Mr Bruton said late last night he was very concerned that Mr Ahern's first response to any questions about the ardfheis scenes was to make an attack on Mr McCartney rather than to address the real concerns about the prisoners' issue in the unionist community.
The Sinn Fein spokeswoman told The Irish Times last night that what happened when the Balcombe gang came into the hall was absolutely spontaneous.
"It was not triumphalist. It was the fact that here were four people who were in jail in England for so long and had not seen the outside of a cell for almost 24 years," she stated. "There was no intention to stage-manage or to upset anybody."
Confirming that the Balcombe Street gang was among a number of prisoners whose release was sought by the Sinn Fein leadership, Mr Ahern said that, from what was stated, "I did not believe it was going to be an exercise in triumphalism". He understood it was going to be far more low key.
Meanwhile, amid growing fears of a drift among unionists towards the No campaign in the northern referendum, the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble has accused the Rev Ian Paisley of "running away" from a television debate arranged for tomorrow night. The Democratic Unionist leader said it was not in the interests of the No campaign to give Mr Trimble a platform.
Mr Trimble called a news conference in UUP headquarters at Glengall Street, Belfast, to announce he had been informed by BBC Northern Ireland that Dr Paisley had withdrawn from a debate on tomorrow night's Hearts and Minds programme.
"Ian Paisley asked for this programme . . . why has he pulled out?" Mr Trimble asked. Answering his own question, the UUP leader said: "He knows his arguments aren't up to it."
There was a general welcome yesterday for a £315 million economic aid package unveiled by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, at Stormont. But the No campaign claimed the aid plan was an attempt to buy votes in support of the Belfast Agreement.
The package included an infrastructure investment of £150 million (including £87 million for roads); £65 million for employment and training; £100 million in tax-breaks to encourage small and medium enterprises.