Cowen and Haass to discuss peace process deadlock

Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen is due to meet the US envoy to Ireland later today to discuss the current impasse in the Irish peace process.

Yesterday, Richard Haass called for the cancelled Northern Assembly elections to be held as soon as possible.

Speaking after a meeting with Northern Secretary Paul Murphy in London, Mr Cowen also condemned "leaks and anonymous briefings" about the identity of Stakeknife, the British spy at the heart of the IRA.

Mr Cowen said the briefings by British security sources were clearly designed to destabilise the peace process.