Ahern to work for quick return to NI devolved govt

“The vast majority of people of every persuasion want devolved government,” he said.

He was speaking after a meeting between the two leaders and the North's pro-Agreement parties.

Tony Blair tonight said it was too early to say if the deadlock in Northern Ireland’s political process could be broken.

But he said he had not put in years of work and commitment to the pursuit of peace to give up now.

He said the review of the agreement would begin shortly and must be “short, sharp and focused”.

“I think it is too early to say whether it is possible to find a way through this yet but I will do my level best to find a way forward,” he said.

“The Taoiseach and I have not put in all these years of work and commitment to give up on it now.”

Flanked by Mr Ahern, Mr Blair added: “We are all agreed we must try to find a way through this.

"There will be a review that will begin shortly.

“I think there is a general agreement that it should be a short and sharp and focused review of the way the institutions have worked and how we overcome the present impasse.

“Everybody in Northern Ireland wants to see devolved government back in Northern Ireland. The question is can we create the conditions in which that can comes about.

“We will do our very best and work as hard as we can to achieve it.”

The political institutions were suspended more than a year ago and the parties went into the assembly election against the background of a deadlocked process.

But both Sinn Féin and the SDLP left the talks disappointed. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said the Prime Minister had made a “major mistake” in holding back publication of potentially explosive reports into alleged police and army collusion with terrorist killers in Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams said the British government had gone back on its public commitment to reveal the contents of retired Judge Peter Cory’s examination of four controversial loyalist paramilitary murders.

His findings in two other cases where gardaí allegedly helped the IRA are set to be released in Dublin this week.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said: “There are no excuses. I don’t believe there’s any excuse why the British government want the information and evidence withheld from the public.”

But Mr Blair insisted he would publish the report. But that could not happen yet for legal reasons.

“The report impinges on the position of certain individuals,” he said.

“We have to go through a process to make sure we are legally and judicially covered. That is the only reason for the difference. We have made it clear the report will be published.

"There are certain legal questions that arise and they have to be dealt with properly. Otherwise the very thing that people want, that justice is done may be imperilled.”

The British and Irish governments have pledged to hold public inquiries into any of the six killings if recommended in the reports. Mr Blair renewed that pledge.

“I think the most important thing is that we make sure we have a situation where people have every confidence that the truth is being got and brought out and that those who are responsible if any crimes have been committed are brought to justice.”

Mr Blair was asked if he could work with Ian Paisley, whose Democratic Unionist Party emerged from the recent election as the largest unionist party.

The Prime Minister held talks with Dr Paisley at Downing Street yesterday.

Mr Blair said: “I will do business with anybody who has got the interests of all the people of Northern Ireland at heart and who wants to see a situation where there is peace in Northern Ireland and devolved government on the basis of sharing power between the parties, between the communities and on the basis of equality for human rights for everyone within Northern Ireland.”

Mr Ahern also revealed legislation providing for the setting up of the International Monitoring Commission would clear the Dáil tomorrow. That meant the IMC – set up to monitor paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland – would be up and running on January 1.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said that was a welcome development. But he said neither the establishment of the IMC nor the review of the Good Friday Agreement could address the underlying problem of Northern Ireland’s political process – the failure of republicans to decommission all their weapons.

Mr Blair said any party sitting down in government had to abide by the rules of democracy.

“The rules of democracy are that there is no place for violence of any kind or the threat of violence of any kind,” he said.

“That has been clear all the way through. What we have got to do is make sure we can reach the situation where there is the confidence on behalf of the Unionist community that is going to take place.”