Ahern and Blair in devolution talks

Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair will hold talks today as pressure intensifies to get a deal for devolution in the North.

The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister are to discuss the increasingly urgent situation over breakfast at Chequers.

The British government has set a deadline of November 24 for the parties to reach an agreement that will allow the Stormont assembly to be reinstated.

But after meeting Mr Blair in Downing Street on Wednesday, Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley warned the chances of meeting that target were slim.

Mr Paisley also told reporters that plans to hold a peace summit in Scotland next month should be abandoned.

“I feel it’s a waste of money,” he said. “Why spend all this money in Scotland? Let’s have it in Stormont.”

With Mr Blair quitting within the next 12 months, the November 24 deadline is increasingly being seen as the last chance to revive the Northern Ireland Assembly before he goes.

Mr Blair and Mr Ahern are also due to meet representatives from Sinn Féin and other parties ahead of the planned peace summit.

Devolution was suspended in October 2002 over allegations of a republican spy ring.

The court case that followed collapsed and one of those charged, Denis Donaldson, later admitted working as a British agent.

The North’s parties have been back at Stormont since May, sitting in a so-called “virtual assembly” which can meet and debate – but not pass legislation.

The 108 MLAs have been warned that if the deadline is not met, their salaries and benefits will stop and the assembly will be put in mothballs.

What happens after that remains unclear, other than Dublin and London say they remain committed to implementing the rest of the Good Friday Agreement, with a step-change in north-south co-operation.