THE Sinn Fein vice president, Mr Pat Doherty, has called for a more statesmanlike" approach from the Taoiseach, following Mr Bruton's opening comments during the Dail debate on the North, and said there could be "no place for name calling".
He also called yesterday on the Government to confront the British government directly on the issue of decommissioning, which it had "created quite deliberately to bring about the surrender of the IRA, which they know is unobtainable".
Mr Doherty was responding to questions about the Lisburn bombing and the future of the peace process at a Sinn Fein conference at a Dublin hotel called to press for the transfer of more republican prisoners from jails in England.
We need to focus on the need immediately for inclusive negotiations and to get rid of these footdragging preconditions", said Mr Doherty.
Unfortunately, the way the British government has footdragged and created obstacles has been paralleled with the way they have treated prisoners in English jails.
When asked about the Lisburn bombing and its impact on the peace process, Mr Doherty said he could not speak on behalf of the IRA. Observers should look at "the whole picture", in particular at what he termed the intransigence of the British.
"The British government created quite deliberately the barrier of decommissioning to bring about the surrender of the IRA, which they know is unobtainable. The Irish Government has to confront the British more directly on that issue," he said.
Mr Doherty was speaking shortly after remarks made by the Taoiseach in the Dail in which he condemned the Lisburn bombing, which he said would make it difficult for people to take seriously a future IRA ceasefire.
The Taoiseach said the IRA must abandon its tactical use of violence, which over a 25 year period had achieved nothing.
Mr Doherty said: "During the years of 1992 and 1993 when Sinn Fein and other parties were striving to put together the peace process, we had the same negative reaction from opposition parties, including John Bruton himself. I would ask for a more statesmanlike approach. There is no place for name calling."