Restoration of devolution hinges on 'confidence'

British and Irish government talks yesterday focused on means to restore "confidence" as a precursor to regenerating the political process in Northern Ireland.

Mr Blair who spoke after his meeting with Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern said that both governments wanted to get the political institutions in the province back on track: "There has been a genuinely significant change in the politics of Northern Ireland and the next task is to create the conditions and circumstances in which devolved government can return to Northern Ireland, which in the end is the only stable way forward for Northern Ireland.

"It is important to create the right confidence in all parts of the community that indeed devolved government can happen and can be stable."

Tuesday's meeting was the first between the two premiers following the announcement that the IRA had decommissioned its weapons, in a move overseen by head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning General John de Chastelain.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that the meeting had, for the first time, taken place without the shadow of IRA weapons, and that while this did not solve all the problems it was "certainly welcome".

Mr Blair again warned that loyalist violence threatened the stability of Northern Ireland. But he said that a "genuinely significant change" had taken place and he looked to the forthcoming report from the Independent Monitoring Commission.

Mr Ahern too looked forward to the IMC reports in the hope that the institutions could be re-established and made them "work successfully, as difficult as that might be".

There is to be a meeting next week between Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern and NI Secretary of State Peter Hain as part of the British-Irish inter-governmental process. Initial talks are then expected to begin with the political parties in Northern Ireland.

Mr Ahern said that he saw no reason why talks on restarting devolved government in Northern Ireland could not take place in the spring.

(SP/MB)