Sinn Féin has rejected a statement by Tánaiste Mary Harney that party president Gerry Adams must act to ensure that the "Colombia Three", now back in Ireland, hand themselves over to the Garda for questioning.
Ms Harney, in her capacity as acting Minister for Justice with Michael McDowell on holidays, demanded at the weekend that Mr Adams must co-operate with the authorities to ensure the men were questioned.
Mr Adams is on holidays but his chief spokesman yesterday portrayed Ms Harney's comments as academic or pointless as the "Colombia Three" - James Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley - were willing to speak to the Garda.
"James Monaghan, when he was interviewed by RTÉ last week, made it clear that he and his colleagues were available to talk to the gardaí. Therefore there is no need for Gerry Adams to intervene.
It is simply a matter of arranging such a meeting, if that is required. That can be easily done through the men's solicitors or through the Bring Them Home campaign committee," the spokesman added.
He was aware of a Sunday Tribune report quoting two senior Garda sources who said the men had been in Ireland since March, but believed this was not the case.
He reiterated that Mr Adams only learned of the men's return to Ireland shortly before the news was disclosed on Friday. He declined to be specific in terms of how long in advance Mr Adams was aware of their return. Asked was it a matter of days or weeks the spokesman said "it was a very, very short time".
The spokesman insisted that the "Colombia Three" issue was not causing a crisis in the peace process.
"Some people are making a song and dance about the men but if they want to talk about a crisis in the peace process they should talk about how loyalists are killing each other in north Belfast," he added.
The spokesman said there was no evidence to suggest that the men were engaged in any illegal activity in Colombia and they should not be extradited.
SDLP Assembly member Alban Maginness said the return of the "Colombia Three" was "yet another example of the provisional movement putting its own needs ahead of the peace process".
He said the men were "clearly up to no good" in Colombia but believed there were not grounds for extraditing them. "Not for the first time their reckless actions and Sinn Féin's cover-up have damaged the peace process and made it harder to get the Good Friday agreement up and running again. In fact, it makes you wonder is Sinn Féin serious about getting devolution back at all," said Mr Maginness.
