Ongoing IRA violence delaying peace process, warns Ahern

CONTINUING republican violence is holding up the Northern peace process, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned yesterday.

As the British and Irish governments faced renewed unionist pressure to exclude Sinn Féin from talks on the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Ahern insisted it was now time for republicans to end all paramilitary activity.

"The continuation of paramilitary activity by the republican movement negates any prospect of achieving inclusive partnership politics in Northern Ireland," he said.