Blair and Ahern in assembly talks
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will hold a summit with British prime minister Tony Blair in Dublin today in a bid to kick-start a fresh bid to bring back the Northern Assembly and other political institutions.
The two leaders will meet at Farmleigh House in Dublin’s Phoenix Park as parties in the North prepare for a new round of talks on February 6.
A Downing Street spokesman said today’s meeting between the leaders was an attempt to re-engage both governments with the process.
“It is very much a scene setter,” he said.
“It is a chance to reflect on the event that took place last year and assess progress that has been made since then.
“It is a chance to re-engage the two prime ministers with the process and set out why they believe the coming year will be an important one and to give people their expectations.”
Mr Ahern and Mr Blair will reflect on the IRA’s groundbreaking declaration last July that it had ordered its units to end their armed campaign and commit themselves to purely peaceful and democratic means and also on the Provisionals’ completion of the disarmament programme in the presence of witnesses last September.
Unionists, however, remain sceptical about IRA intentions and are still resisting pressure on them to form a power-sharing government featuring Sinn Féin.
Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists have submitted a 64-page document to Downing Street, outlining confidence-building measures for the unionist community that they believe have to be addressed before political progress can be made.
On Tuesday Mr Paisley also handed Mr Blair a 16-page document outlining a role for the North’s 108 assembly members in the absence of full devolution.
Last week the DUP said it could not envisage devolved government with Sinn Féin in the foreseeable future.
The party has instead suggested phased devolution and it expected to give further details publicly once a report by the ceasefire watchdog, the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), is released next week.
The Irish and British governments, unionists, nationalists, and the Northern public at large will be keen to see if the IMC report shows that the IRA is honouring the commitment it made last July on ending its armed campaign.
In recent days, there have been claims by Mr Paisley and others that the report will show that the Provisionals are still engaged in criminal activity.
Unionists insist that cannot continue if they are to ever contemplate reviving power sharing with Sinn Féin.
Irish Government sources indicated today that they believe if there is to be progress north of the border, a political deal reviving the assembly must be struck this year.
“The North is the only item on the agenda today,” a Dublin source said.
During his visit to Dublin, Mr Blair and Northern Secretary Peter Hain will pay a courtesy visit to the President, Belfast-born Mary McAleese, at her official residence.
President McAleese broke new ground last month when she met the Queen at Hillsborough Castle.
There has been speculation that Queen Elizabeth II could make a historic visit by a British monarch to the Republic soon.
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