Adams notes irony of trying to enter Stormont while unionist parties stay outside the gates

MR Gerry Adams yesterday noted the irony of Sinn Fein wishing to enter the unionist bastion of Stormont, but being denied access, while the main unionist parties, which the two governments wanted inside, remained outside the gates.

Yesterday was a confusing, occasionally bizarre opening to the multilateral consultation process, aimed at establishing the basis for a new election in the North, possible dual referendums, and all party negotiations.

But as the Tanaiste Mr Spring said, it was a start. The hope is that over the coming days, in the lead up to the March 13th deadline, a momentum will build to pave the way to an overall political settlement in Northern Ireland.

It was an inauspicious opening to the process, and there were times yesterday when hope of a final negotiated settlement seemed futile. But there was some movement. People are talking to each other, not all at Castle Buildings, and by March 13th everybody will know each other's views about the election, referendums, and negotiations.

Moreover, the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, has written to the Government saying he is willing to meet Mr Spring with the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton and the Democratic Left leader, Mr De Rossa.

Mr Spring, and the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, to a somewhat lesser extent, signalled that they are keen to keep the channels of communication open to Sinn Fein at official level.

A spokesman for Mr Spring said that Government civil servants hoped to meet Sinn Fein in a matter of days. British government officials may also soon meet Sinn Fein, and there is a possibility that officials from the two governments may together meet Sinn Fein.

But generally yesterday the mood was cheerless.

We had a series of stand offs: the DUP and UUP would not go to Castle Buildings because of Mr Spring's presence; Sinn Fein was denied access; the SDLP, in apparent consequence, signalled it would only meet unionists at Castle Buildings; and the Progressive Unionist Party, which on Sunday said it would be there, decided to avoid the venue because it is annoyed with Mr Spring.

Sinn Fein, being masters of the art, staged the publicity coup of the day. It was certainly a very dramatic image, the sight of republican heavyweights such as Mr Adams, Mr Martin McGuinness, Mr Gerry Kelly and six colleagues walking en bloc to the gates of Castle Buildings, and being refused admission.

The message it would convey to republican hawks was easy to conceive. Mr McGuinness, asked how the IRA might react to the "lock out", said it would add to the sense of "alienation within the broad nationalist community".

The incident also exposed Sinn Fein's growing dissatisfaction with the Irish Government. The Northern Ireland Office officials who refused the Sinn Fein team entrance said they were acting on the instructions of the two governments.

"It is a matter of deep regret that the two governments are treating those whom we represent as second class citizens," responded Mr Adams. It showed a "strange commitment from the Irish Government", he added.

In Dublin last night, a Government spokesman said that "the premises were owned by the British government". The Irish Government "did not have any objection" to Sinn Fein being excluded.

The SDLP, which engaged in trilateral talks with Mr Spring and Sir Patrick yesterday, was annoyed at the rebuff. Its party leader, Mr John Hume, and his deputy, Mr Seamus Mallon, said their understanding was that Sinn Fein should be allowed in to meet British and Irish government officials, and whatever other parties would talk to them.

Mr Mallon said that the SDLP now would only speak to the main unionist parties at Castle Buildings. By implication accusing the unionists of unnecessary manoeuvrings, he added: "I have one simple message for unionists in terms of this process, you can run but you can't hide."

Mr Peter Robinson, deputy DUP leader, said Mr Mallon's comments were depressing. Later Mr Hume slightly modified Mr Mallon's statement by stating that the SDLP's "clear, strong, preference" was for proximity meetings at Castle Buildings.

The two unionist parties, adding to the confusion, said they were never officially invited to Castle Buildings for the talks, so therefore they should not be accused of boycotting the proximity process.

Mr Trimble and the Rev Ian Paisley said that they were observing the terms of the communique which called for multilateral consultations, not necessarily at Castle Building. Mr Trimble and Dr Paisley are meeting Sir Patrick at Westminster tomorrow and are arranging to meet other parties.

While Mr Spring was "blatantly interfering in the affairs of Northern Ireland", as Dr Paisley put it yesterday, the two unionist parties would not be at Castle Buildings.

Dr Paisley, however, added he was perfectly willing to meet the Irish Government on matters that did not impinge on the North's union with Britain.

The Progressive Unionist Party boycotted the venue because of an alleged snub perpetrated by Mr Spring. When the PUP met the Tanaiste in Dublin in early February he did not notify them of his proximity talks proposal, although he put forward the proposal the following day, the party complained.

The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) which met the Workers' Party at Castle Buildings, had no difficulty being at the venue. Party leader Mr Gary McMichael said he too would not talk to the Tanaiste about internal Northern Ireland matters, but was prepared to talk to him about North South issues.

The parties which did turn up at the controversial venue yesterday were the two governments, the SDLP, Alliance Party, UDP and the Workers' Party. Meetings are to continue daily until March 13th when, in the absence of an agreement, the British government will decide the form of election process to be undertaken.