Blair and Ahern re-examine devolution plans

The one-hour meeting the British and Irish premiers yesterday was by all accounts a low-key affair, but the two Governments have promised a plan for devolution later this year.

Speaking after the meeting Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that he wanted to bring forward proposals before the marching season began, but conceded that no deadlines were being set.

There were no details forthcoming regarding any proposals that would be acceptable to Unionists and Nationalists in the Northern Ireland.

Yesterday, the Prime Ministers Official Spokesperson said that the meeting had been "primarily a stocktaking exercise." He said the two Prime Ministers were "clearer in their view of where we were going, but there was now "further work to be done by officials."

Commenting on the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report, which said that the IRA no longer posed a terrorist threat and that its leadership had instructed it members not to engage in public disorder, he said said the PM found this "very encouraging."

However, recent attempts at round-table talks by NI Secretary of State Peter Hain were stymied and attempts by Political Development Minister David Hanson similarly met with little success.

The lack of a consensus position in the Northern Ireland arena has led to the Assembly restart proposals languishing in the doldrums prior to the impending Easter celebrations by Republicans and the imminent arrival of the preparations for the Unionist marching season.

Amid some hints of discord on timing in the background, the Irish and British Prime Ministers have been keen not to be seen to rush through proposals that will prove unacceptable in what will be the eighth anniversary of the fading Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Ahern said that he and Mr Blair had listened to the parties for six weeks and they had a "good sense" of where there was agreement and where there was disagreement.

Despite this he said they were "determined that during the course of the year we have to try and get the institutions up and also implement all other aspects of the Good Friday Agreement."

(SP/GB)