Progressing peace must take priority

If Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are adamant that no sanctions are to be instigated against Sinn Féin, by way of exclusion, then a greater degree of inventiveness is needed to progress the Northern peace process than has hitherto been exhibited.

Both men are convinced that the IRA carried out the raid on the Northern Bank in December, and that the leaders of Sinn Féin were aware of that fact, thus making them alleged accessories to the fact before and after the event.

The report from the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), whose remit is to track paramilitary activity, will shortly report on the robbery and it is highly unlikely that it will diverge from the opinion of Chief Constable Hugh Orde or Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy.