Chuir Rialtas na hÉireann i leith Rialtas na Breataine i 2003 go raibh feachtas ar bun acu chun an bonn a bhaint ó cheannaireacht Shinn Féin.
Ag cruinniú teasaí a bhí ag Comhdháil Idir-Rialtasach na Breataine-na hÉireann i dTeach Lancaster, Londain i mBealtaine 2003 chuir an rialtas a bhfearg in iúl faoin dóigh a nochtadh eolas faoin bhrathadóir, Freddie Scappaticci, go poiblí.
Ach dúirt Rialtas na Breataine gur cuireadh na Gardaí ar an eolas faoi Scappaticci roinnt blianta roimhe sin.
D'inis an tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha, Brian Cowen, do thaobh na Breataine den Chomhdháil go raibh eachtraí ar nós Stormont a bheith curtha ar fionraí i 2002 de bharr gréasán spiairí a bheith ag an IRA ann agus nochtadh Stakeknife ag baint bonn den phróiseas síochána.
"The timing of these events was suspicious and seemed designed to cause the maximum damage," a dúirt an tAire Cowen.
Tá tuairisc ar an chruinniú ó Ray Bassett, Comhrúnaí na Comhdhála, ar fáil sa Chartlann Náisiúnta anois.
Níor chuir an tAire Cowen fiacail ann agus d'fhiafraigh de Státrúnaí an Tuaiscirt, Paul Murphy, an raibh lámh ag seirbhísí rúnda na Breataine (MI5) sna heachtraí sin.
"There has been no communication with us on Stakeknife. We have been restrained in public while getting no real factual information. These events were feeding into the political process and seemed aimed at destabilising the one leadership in the republican movement that can deliver on the peace process," a dúirt an tAire Cowen.
Shéan an Státrúnaí go raibh aon bhaint ag MI5 leis an scéal a nochtadh mar gur thacaigh siadsan leis an phróiseas síochána agus le Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta. Dhiúltaigh sé labhairt faoi fhaisnéis slándála ach dúirt go raibh nochtadh Freddie Scappatici ag cur brú ar rialtas na Breataine fosta.
"He went on to say that the Garda had been made aware of the Stakeknife activities several years ago," a scríobh Ray Bassett. "There had been a dirty, dirty war for 30 years and it was not surprising that activities, such as these, had come out. He believed there would be further revelations."
Ghlac Paul Murphy leis fosta go ndearna eachtra Stakeknife, agus an tuairimíocht go raibh baint ag seirbhísí slándála na Breataine leis an eachtra, go leor damáiste do Shinn Féin.
Dúirt Brian Cowen, áfach, go raibh dinimic dhiúltach ag eachtraí mar sin ar an phobal náisiúnach.
"This change was not fully appreciated on the British side," a dúradh.
Bhásaigh Freddie Scappaticci i 2023. Dheimhnigh Tuarascáil Kenova, a foilsíodh coicís ó shin, go raibh Stakeknife á stiúradh ag MI5.
* Craolfar an clár Siar 20 Bliain ar TG4 anocht ag 19.55