Sinn Fein meets with Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen have had an hour-and-a-half long meeting with Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness covering current issues in the peace process.

Afterwards Mr Ahern pledged to continue working to advance the peace process.

Brian Cowen also briefed the Sinn Féin leadership on his meeting this week in London with Northern Secretary Paul Murphy

Among the issues the Sinn Féin delegation was expected to raise were concerns regarding collusion between paramilitaries and the British military intelligence services following the Stevens report and allegations regarding the agent known as ‘Stakeknife’.

The Taoiseach was expected to use the meeting as a means of gauging what if any moves will be forthcoming from republicans on issues such as policing in an attempt to advance peace negotiations.