Ahern pleads to SF to help peace process

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today presented one his bleakest assessments of prospects for the Northern Ireland peace process - and issued a direct plea to Sinn Fein and their IRA allies to help overcome the crisis.

Speaking after talks in Downing Street yesterday with Tony Blair and pro-Good Friday agreement parties from Northern Ireland, he said positions appeared to have polarised strongly since the general election in the UK.

"Very difficult issues remain to be resolved. We could be facing an intolerable situation unless there is substantial progress on these issues within the next 10 days."

Mr Ahern made no attempt to disguise a clearly downbeat report on the current political position in Northern Ireland in response to opposition questions in the Dail.

But he came down against new multi-party talks, which he suggested "might not be a good idea", maintaining: "They are not likely to prove successful. Bi-lateral discussions are likely to be the best way."

Mr Ahern appealed to all the Northern Ireland parties to "reflect on the issues", and directed a special message to Sinn Fein on the question of decommissioning weapons held by their IRA allies and other paramilitary groups.

The Taoiseach said: "Guns have been silent and the international inspections and contact with the de Chastelain Commission (on arms decommissioning) are all helpful.

"But they are not enough - the reality is they are not enough.

"As a person in the middle, I think if they (Sinn Fein) were to help on decommissioning, I could certainly help press the British Government on demilitarisation.

"It would strengthen my hand massively. And equally, it would on policing.

"But if nobody moves, how do you get the British Government to go further on policing? How do you get them to go anywhere on demilitarisation?

"How do you get David Trimble to stop and not go ahead (with his threatened resignation as Northern Ireland First Minister over the decommissioning row)?"

Mr Ahern said if the current political set-up in Northern Ireland fell apart, there would be "a six-week stalemate at the worst time of the year’’, approaching Northern Ireland's marching season.

"The Governments have no magic trick to deal with this."