NI politicians are surprised by optimism of Taoiseach

THE Taoiseach's optimism about the prospects of a new IRA ceasefire seemed to catch Northern politicians by surprise last night, although in the past fortnight two of Sinn Fein's leaders have pointedly raised the matter.

A senior Ulster Unionist Party politician expressed surprise that Mr Bruton was optimistic of a renewed IRA ceasefire. He had learned nothing at the talks to suggest such an eventuality. "It just seems to me that Mr Bruton knows more than I do," he said.

He did say, however, in line with the Taoiseach's view, that the UUP and the SDLP might be able to come to some arrangement whereby the issue of decommissioning would be dealt with in parallel to other issues, rather than be placed on the agenda as the first issue to be finalised.

The politician confirmed that the UUP and SDLP had set up a working party, which met for the first time yesterday, to examine the decommissioning issue, but he was unaware of any suggestion that this development might prompt a new IRA cessation.

A Sinn Fein spokesman expressed puzzlement at the Taoiseach's remarks. I do not see any evidence to suggest that that speculation is likely to bear fruit based on my understanding of where the situation stands at the moment," he said.

However, over a week ago, the leading Sinn Fein negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, said real negotiations would require a "peaceful environment" and he agreed there could not be a peaceful environment while there was no IRA ceasefire.

The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, also suggested recently that conditions could still be created for a new IRA ceasefire, but this demanded inclusive dialogue with a set time frame, no preconditions and "confidence building measures" by the British government.

The Sinn Fein spokesman said last night, however, that those conditions did not exist despite Mr Bruton's viewpoint. "None of those conditions is in place. In fact, the evidence of the past 48 hours would seem to suggest they are further away rather than closer."

The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said he had no evidence of an impending IRA ceasefire, although he did add. "If I did know it was going to happen, it's not something I would be talking about."

Mr Home said while progress was being made in the talks between his party and the UUP, no agreement, whether on decommissioning or other matters, had been struck.

The comments by Mr Bruton are unlikely to surprise the DUP, which has been claiming that the real purpose behind most other parties wanting the fringe unionist parties to remain at the talks, despite the loyalist paramilitary death threat against Mr Billy Wright and Mr Alex Kerr, was to open the door" for Sinn Fein's entry to the talks.

"If this matter is swept under the carpet by the [British] government, then Gerry Adams and the pan-nationalists will exploit this to the benefit of Sinn Fein/IRA," said a DUP statement.

At least one UUP politician indicated yesterday that in the event of another IRA ceasefire, some elements within unionism might treat it more seriously than they did the previous ceasefire.