Bush adviser urges 'bold thinking' on peace process

President George Bush’s special adviser on Northern Ireland Richard Haass today urged “bold thinking and bold acting” in a bid to move on the Northern Ireland peace process.

Speaking after a meeting in Dublin with Foreign Minister Brian Cowen - and ahead of seeing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern – the American envoy said there was a real opportunity now to make progress in Northern Ireland and the United States was urging that everything should be done to take advantage of it.

He said: “We, for our part, stand ready to help in the on-going efforts to solve the situation in Northern Ireland. We are doing whatever we can to bring about action.

“And what we are calling for at this time is bolding thinking and bad acting.”

Earlier, Mr Ahern told the Dáil that Mr Haass, though due to give up his Northern Ireland role this year, would be in place to help until “at least the end of next month.”

The Taoiseach was responding to Dáil queries about speculation that Mr Haass would be leaving his current role in the US State Department in the summer.

Mr Ahern told the house: “He has confirmed that he will be available for whatever time we need him between now and the end of March and that will be very helpful.”

Mr Ahern said Mr Haass had proved extremely helpful while working with the British and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland parties.

“I think he can be very helpful to us over the next few weeks and he has an enormous grip on the situation.

“He knows of the arguments I suppose because he has dealt with issues in all parts of the world. He has a long experience of these issues.”

After his meeting with Mr Ahern tonight, Mr Haass was going to Belfast, where he will tomorrow meet pro-Good Friday Agreement parties like Sinn Fein, the nationalist SDLP, the cross community Alliance Party and Women’s Coalition and the loyalist Progressive Unionists.

The Ambassador has also arranged meetings with the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists and with community and voluntary groups.

The visit coincides with reports that he will give up his present job for a new post as president of the influential US Council of Foreign Relations.