Ahern and Blair want North deal before end of year
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said the Irish and British governments are determined to break the impasse in the peace process before the end of this year.
Speaking after talks with the British Prime Minister at Downing Street last night, Mr Ahern refused to set a firm deadline for progress on restoring devolution in the North.
However, he did signal that the Irish and British governments planned to publish proposals to break the current stalemate before the upcoming loyalist marching season.
Mr Ahern also reiterated that the two governments wanted the Northern parties to negotiate a deal to restore power-sharing, but would take the initiative themselves if no such agreement was forthcoming.
"We've listened to the parties now for six weeks. We've a very good sense of where they're all at and where there's agreement and where there's disagreement," he said.
"We're still determined that during the course of this year we have to try and get the institutions up and also implement all the other aspects of the Good Friday Agreement."
