Ahern and Bush to call on IRA to disband

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern and US President George W Bush will jointly send out a message calling on the IRA to disband when the two leaders meet in the White House today.

The Taoiseach will visit Mr Bush in the Oval Office of the White House at 11am for the annual shamrock ceremony to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and PSNI Chief Constable Huge Orde are also in Washington DC for the ceremony.

Speaking ahead of the meeting in Washington last night, Mr Ahern told an audience of prominent Irish-American political and business leaders that progress in the peace process is predicated on the disbandment of the IRA.