Ahern to unveil ‘Plan B’ for North if power sharing fails

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern will unveil a “Plan B” for the North in three weeks’ time, aimed at keeping the peace process alive if power sharing proves impossible to restore.

Mr Ahern last night revealed he and British Prime Minister Tony Blair had been forced to hammer out the fall back option as a way of breaking political deadlock in the North over devolution.

The Taoiseach made the announcement after two hours of talks with President George W Bush at the White House.

“I want the full Good Friday Agreement implemented. Only if that fails, then we move to Plan B. We have given some thought to that because it would be unwise of us not to do that,” he said.

“In about three weeks’ time, Prime Minister Blair and I will make an announcement about where we are moving.

“I’m very reluctant to even dream about Plan B. All the efforts of everybody should be put into getting Plan A right. Any Plan B will not be as satisfactory.”

The initiative is believed to be focused on strengthening North-South bodies to try and fill some of the vacuum left by the collapsed Assembly.

One source described it as “direct rule with a green glow”. Civil servants in the North are believed to have been told to prepare for direct rule to continue for up to four years.

Mr Ahern’s remarks followed the traditional St Patrick’s Day shamrock ceremony at the White house.

Mr Ahern used his speech to push the case for allowing the estimated 50,000 illegal Irish workers in the US to be allowed to remain.

The two leaders then discussed the immigration issue in private, along with the North, and Mr Ahern told Mr Bush of the need for greater openness regarding the use of Shannon for US military and CIA flights.

“There is concern about extraordinary rendition and concern about CIA flights. We are going to continue to look at how we might bring more transparency to that process if it’s possible,” he said.

Mr Ahern also restated Irish calls for the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to be either released or charged

The McCartney sisters and the family of murdered Dublin man Joseph Rafferty, were also invited to the reception at the White House and the two leaders discussed both cases.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was among Northern political leaders invited to the White House reception after being cold shouldered by the Bush administration last year.