Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he fears the British government will not back down on its refusal to hold a full public inquiry into the 1989 killing of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane.
The Finucane family was dissatisfied with Northern Secretary Peter Hain on Tuesday after he insisted that an investigation would have to be carried out under new legislation which allows British ministers to block evidence and testimony from being made public, or going before an inquiry.
"As things currently stand, however, I fear that the British are set on their ways.
"I get no impression that they are willing to change their approach," said the Taoiseach.
"However, I will continue to press the British prime minister strongly on this. I even raised the case last year with President Bush.
"I regret that the British have not shown a willingness to meet the family's needs," he went on.
"I understand that it was a difficult meeting and that the family are not satisfied with British proposals for an inquiry into Pat Finucane's murder.
"Our sympathies are with Geraldine Finucane and her family in all of this.
"We have made it clear, consistently, that we wish to see a full public inquiry held as was envisaged at Weston Park, and recommended by Judge Cory.
"The circumstances of this case demand the maximum openness," he went on.
Nearly €13 million has been spent on the latest police inquiry led by former metropolitan police commissioner Lord John Stevens into the killing.
Speaking yesterday, Ian Paisley jnr, a DUP representative on the Northern policing board said: "There's been absolutely no public benefit from the inquiry or the money spent on it."
The inquiry has now been transferred by chief constable Sir Hugh Orde to the review team investigating over 3,000 unsolved murders.
He said: "The cost of the Stevens III inquiry to date is £8,916,936 (€12,991,649). However, it is anticipated that the cost of the inquiry will significantly reduce as the investigative capacity of the Stevens team is being reduced from 30 to 11 officers.
"The current status of the inquiry is that as of February 2006 all outstanding matters are being handed back to C8, the historical inquiries team."
