Ahern to meet Sinn Féin delegation

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to meet a delegation from Sinn Féin in Dublin today.

The meeting, ahead of talks next week between Mr Ahern and Mr Blair on restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland, follows on a series of attempts since January to hold all-party discussions with the Northern Ireland political parties.

However, attempts at recent meetings organised by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain and Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern have failed to generate much in the way of accord and the ball remains in the court of the two governments.

The two Unionist parties are in favour of a partial return to devolved local government, a move not supported by either Sinn Féin or the SDLP who want an immediate return to a full power sharing executive with local ministers in place.

Prior to today's meeting with Mr Ahern, Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness accused both governments of pandering to a DUP agenda. He declared that a partial restoration of the Assembly as "totally unacceptable" and said this represented a real threat to the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Ahern is to meet with representatives from the SDLP in Dublin tomorrow, as Mr Blair meets the Sinn Féin negotiating team.

Talks at Stormont are expected to resume later this week.

(SP/GB)