Ahern and Adams to meet later today

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams will meet today with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to review the state of the peace process.

The two will meet informally at an event to mark the Special Olympics summer games to be held in Ireland next year.

Sinn Fein sources said the two leaders will discuss the current round of multi-party negotiations to restore devolution in Northern Ireland. "They will be discussing the talks and the prospects for getting out of the current political crisis," a source said.

Sinn Fein came under criticism last night from nationalist rivals for acting as if other parties were to blame for the suspension of devolution. While agreeing the current crisis at Stormont could not be boiled down simply to the issue of future IRA activity, former SDLP Finance Minister Sean Farren said it was "not good enough" for Martin McGuinness to point the finger at others for the crisis.

"Gerry Adams has finally accepted, as the SDLP pointed out, that IRA activity is damaging unionist confidence in the Agreement," the North Antrim Assembly member said.

"Though Sinn Fein have successfully diagnosed one of the problems. Now we need to see them come up with some solutions. That means facing up to their responsibilities and play their part in ending paramilitarism. Too many people in this process are pointing the finger of blame instead of pointing the way forward."