The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has denied that a deal was made last year regarding the early release of the IRA killers of Garda Detective Jerry McCabe.
It has been reported that the Government had been prepared to release the four convicted men, as part of a failed deal to restore the North's institutions.
However, speaking in Dublin today, Mr Ahern said the Government had received requests in relation to the early release of the men but the Government's position was that such requests could not be even considered while republican paramilitaries were active.
He did not rule out the possibility of such a deal being made at some point in the future, if full and verifiable decommissioning had been achieved by the paramilitaries.
