Ahern and Blair to review devolution road map

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his British counterpart Prime Minister Tony Blair will today review their plan for reviving devolution in Northern Ireland at talks in Downing Street.

The meeting will take place amid growing cynicism among Northern Ireland parties about the current round of negotiations aimed at reviving the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said yesterday he believed both governments felt the current talks process was going nowhere.

The West Belfast MP urged Mr Blair and Mr Ahern to stop shadow boxing with the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists (DUP) in talks and to be prepared to implement the Good Friday Agreement in the event of no power-sharing executive being formed at Stormont for the loyalist marching season this summer.

Urging the governments to set out a timetable by which the suspension of devolution would be lifted and a multi-party executive formed, Mr Adams said: “This should be completed before the summer and well in advance of the loyalist marching season.

“If the DUP rejects this, then the two governments should, on the basis of joint government decision-making, get on with delivering those many parts of the Good Friday Agreement that they have direct responsibility for.”

The DUP’s Nigel Dodds, whose party has been urging the British government to consider setting up a Shadow Assembly before even attempting full-blown devolution, accused Sinn Féin of bluster.

The North Belfast MP urged the two prime ministers: “Get on with the job of creating the maximum amount of devolution which is possible in the circumstances.

“Clearly, that does not include executive-style devolution.

“Recognise also that we will accept no kind of time-limited option which demands a move to executive-style government at a certain arbitrary date.

“Northern Ireland has been down that road before with all the attendant disasters and destabilising consequences. If Blair and Co haven’t learnt that lesson, the unionist people certainly have.”

Today’s meeting was taking place after Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain postponed plans for a round of meetings with the Northern Ireland parties on amendments to legislation currently going through the House of Commons.

The British government still hopes to secure agreement from the Northern Ireland parties on amendments to an omnibus Bill which would bring about changes to the way a future Assembly would operate.

Mr Hain and his officials believe the legislative changes are needed in the event of Northern Ireland moving to full-blown devolution.

The British and Irish governments are also believed to be working on a road map aimed at returning the Northern Ireland Assembly to devolution.

Unionist and nationalist parties have speculated that the road map could contain a proposal for a Shadow Assembly.

Sinn Féin and Mark Durkan’s Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) have opposed that idea.

Mr Durkan went further yesterday, challenging Sinn Féin, the DUP and the two governments to declare a deal they almost struck in December 2004 null and void.

The SDLP issued the call because it believes elements in that deal could resurface in any future initiative to revive the Assembly and they have warned that it will create a system of bad government at Stormont.

Mr Blair and Mr Ahern’s meeting will also follow the release of a report by the four-member Independent Monitoring Commission on how the British Government is honouring its commitments and scaling back security in Northern Ireland.

Mr Ahern added in a statement: “The focus of the discussions will be to enhance the chances of overall success to the greatest possible extent.

“The two Governments recognise the need to give strategic direction.

“The timing and content of this direction is obviously important.

“Ongoing contacts between the Governments and with the parties is envisaged over the coming period.”