Taoiseach urged to reply to 'spying' report

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was today urged to declare there has been no cover-up of an alleged IRA spy operation on Government officials.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble demanded Mr Ahern make a public statement on reports that republicans have targeted senior members of the Fianna Fail Party.

He said: "We are calling at this stage for the Irish government to officially state its position. We must make sure there's no cover-up going on at the moment.

"If they find that a senior minister and other Fianna Fail backbenchers are being targeted by republicans they need to look into this.''

With Tony Blair and Mr Ahern pressing all the parties in Belfast to break the deadlock in the Northern Ireland peace process, Mr Trimble is expected to boycott round table talks later this week.

The UUP leader insists that the main business involves Downing Street securing a major move on weapons from the IRA to help restore the suspended power-sharing administration at Stormont.

Any other discussions have only been arranged to placate smaller pro-Good Friday Agreement groups such as the Women's Coalition and the Progressive Unionist Party, he claimed.

"The [British] government is being slightly cynical in this operation. The only reason they indicated to us about going to the meeting on Thursday is in order to keep the little parties happy."

But he added that he would hold off making a final decision about attending the talks until he had heard from the Irish government on the "spying" report.