Adams urges Ahern to pressure Blair

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams today said the Government had a duty to keep the British government true to its word on the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Adams said there had not yet been any substantial progress in resolving the current crisis in the peace process.

Speaking in Dublin before a meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern he spoke of the British government’s failure to move on a range of issues.

The Sinn Fein leader also revealed that he will be heading to Washington on Monday for three days of briefings with senior politicians.

“There is a clear onus on the Irish government as a co-equal partner to the Good Friday Agreement to keep the British government focussed on its obligations,” Mr Adams said.

“But there is also a responsibility on the Irish government around some matters which are its responsibility. These include the decision to cut funding of the North-South Irish language body Foras na Gaeilge.

“The 11% cut is effectively a reneging of commitments made by the Irish government in the Good Friday Agreement.”

He said the Northern Ireland Office had shown no regard for the Irish language and had effectively been given an excuse to cut back on its funding too.

“This particular matter is an example of issues which come under the broad umbrella of the equality agenda,” he said. “There are other issues which are outside the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

“For example, the issue of northern representation in Southern Institutions, which are the subject of recommendations of the all-party Oireachtas committee on Constitutional Reform, as well as making available access to Irish passport facilities for Irish citizens in the north.”

Mr Adams said the failure to make progress on the issue of the Irish language was making a difficult situation worse.

Speaking on his forthcoming visit to the United States he said: “My meetings in Washington will allow me to update senior political figures on Capital Hill about the crisis in the process, the many issues involved and what is required to resolve it. ”

Primarily, our focus will be on the imperative of reinstating the institutions, which the British government should never have suspended.”

Among the Congress members and Senators Mr Adams will meet are Jim Walsh, Peter King, Richard Neal and Senator Ted Kennedy, as well as President Bush’s special ambassador on Ireland Richard Haass.