Ahern and Blair step up talks to restore North’s power-sharing executive

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s latest bid to restore devolution and secure the Provisionals’ disarmament will intensify today during the second day of crucial talks at Hillsborough Castle, which could result in the restoration of the North’s power-sharing executive.

Though all sides reported progress as the talks broke up last night, Sinn Féin was said to be resisting unionist demands for harsh punishments against further ceasefire breaches.

The talks will resume early today and unionist leader David Trimble is expected to reiterate that the IRA’s commitment to ending its military campaign has to be monitored. “The question of verification and sanctions is a deal breaker. There will not be any progress without it,” he said.

As frantic efforts were stepped up yesterday at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, Mr Trimble met Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams in a bid to broker agreement.

As the talks continued until 9pm, one strand emerging involved the proposed formation of an independent monitoring body, made up of representatives from the British, Irish and US governments, to rule on paramilitary activity.

Sources close to the talks confirmed this issue was one of the main stumbling blocks. “It’s a major bone of contention,” one aide said.

But senior Sinn Féin negotiator Gerry Kelly insisted: “There is no way we will accept sanctions.”

The Taoiseach and Tony Blair travelled to Northern Ireland with a blueprint package they hoped would break the deadlocked political process.

They tabled a 28-page document of proposals aimed at rescuing the Good Friday Agreement. The package, split into five sections, set out all the outstanding issues threatening the peace process.

Mr Blair’s official spokesman said “it’s a work in progress, not a finished product”.

The power-sharing assembly has been suspended since allegations were made of a suspected IRA spy-ring at Stormont last October, which left unionists bitterly opposed to going back into government with Sinn Féin.

Amid increasing speculation that a huge move to empty its secret arms dumps could be imminent, veteran republican and former IRA chief of staff Joe Cahill arrived at the talks.

Sinn Féin sought to play down the significance of his presence, but Government sources claimed it was an important development.

However, before the IRA agrees to effectively go out of business by agreeing to halt recruitment, purchasing guns and gathering intelligence, it wants confirmation from Mr Blair about a new programme of demilitarisation.

Sinn Féin kingpins Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness sought promises that thousands of troops would be pulled out of the North, along with the dismantling of army watchtowers in republican areas.

Calls for policing and criminal justice to be devolved to the Stormont Assembly, a pledge to allow on-the-run paramilitary prisoners to return and moves on equality and human rights were also among the main Sinn Féin demands.

Chairman Mitchel McLaughlin said: “Today’s talks are critical to the future of this island. That means acts of completion by the British Government that will convince Republicans and nationalists that a plan is in place to see the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.”