Ahern Steps Into Executive's Policing Row

While he has "cautioned against Sinn Fein and the DUP escalating the current impasse over NI Executive meetings", the Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (pictured with former PM Tony Blair) has weighed into the row over devolution of policing and justice powers at Stormont.

Mr Ahern has claimed that said the existence of the IRA army council was "not a precondition to the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont".

He said the DUP was "well aware" of the British and Irish governments' commitment to the deadline for such a transfer and insisted, "it should have been long done by this stage".

He was commenting on BBC NI's Hearts and Minds programme on the current situation that has led to the Executive not meeting for three months, after the issue caused a political impasse between the DUP and Sinn Féin.

Mr Ahern said he understood unionists needed to feel "certainty" in order to establish trust with republicans and felt the IRA perhaps needed to spell out its intentions more clearly.

But he said he did not believe the organisation would ever say it would never exist in any role.

He repeated his desire for the IRA to evolve into a "commemorative" organisation but said the devolution of policing and justice was "never predicated" on the disbandment of the IRA army council.

"All of this was known when the agreement was made. It's not only now or in the last year that we discovered there's a thing called the army council," he said.

Speaking about his continued appearances before the Mahon Tribunal, he also rejected any suggestion of misconduct in his financial dealings and said he hoped some day to be able to clear his name.

Last week, Bertie Ahern was faced with the latest round of questioning at the Tribunal which heard questions over his dealings with a businessman - who is a Fianna Fail TD's son.

Mr Ahern was questioned on whether he had met the man, who was working for a US Investment banker firm in California and was seeking to become involved in the financing of a new sports stadium in Ireland.

The Tribunal is also investigating allegations that while in his earlier capacity as Finance Minister, Bertie accepted a payment from a developer, regarding a bid for tax exemption designation.

During the recording of the programme, the ex-premier also stepped into the Treaty row and said he believed the Irish government would have to re-run the contentious EC Treaty referendum.

The former Taoiseach said that he as disappointed at the Republic's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

He said he felt it had only happened because the document was "too complicated" for people to understand.

The BBC NI TV programe goes on air tonight, at 7.30pm.

See: Ahern Faces Tough Day In Tribunal

(BMcC)