The British government is examining ways to keep the public fully informed about which paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland are breaching their ceasefires, Northern Secretary Dr John Reid confirmed today.
With 12 days to go before a crucial meeting of Mr David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Council on the state of the peace process, Dr Reid said there was a need to address the demands from all sections of the community to keep them fully briefed on the behaviour of loyalist and republican groups.
Emerging from one and three-quarter hour talks at Stormont with Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams, he said: "The political and legal obligation of making a decision on ceasefires rests with me and will stay with me.
"My chief adviser on that is the Chief Constable.
"There is, I think, a widespread feeling that we need to put more systematic information to the public in Northern Ireland about who is committing this violence, in what quantities and to let people really know the details of what's going on.
"I think in principle it is something supported by many, many people in Northern Ireland, including the leaders of many parties and I am consulting at present how that might be done."
Mr Adams today appeared to rule out his party's support for the idea of an independent assessor of the paramilitary ceasefires.
Emerging from his meeting with Dr Reid with Sinn Fein MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Michelle Gildernew and north Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly, Mr Adams said: "We are totally wedded to this agreement.
"Now this notion of an auditor has been brought forward by Mr Trimble.
"I haven't talked to Mr Trimble about that but it seems to be one of the demands that he has made.
"I personally do not see any benefit from that.
"Every time a referee has been brought in here, whether it was the Patten Commission (on police reform), the unionists rejected that, or there was the (General John) de Chastelain commission on decommissioning, unionists rejected that, whether it's the Human Rights Commission, unionists have rejected that.
"So as to this notion that some way this would help the situation, we don't need to be told that there is violence here. That is obvious.
"What we need to do is to use all of our resources and intelligence and energy to bring it to an end. That is what is required."
After a summer of street clashes along sectarian flashpoint areas of Belfast, unionists have called for a rigorous assessment of the state of the paramilitary groups' ceasefires.
They have accused the IRA of orchestrating much of the violence - a charge the Provisionals and Sinn Féin have denied. Nationalists and republicans have accused the loyalist Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Volunteer Force of initiating the disturbances.
Dr Reid was commenting at the beginning of a week which promised a heavy round of meetings involving the two governments and the Northern Ireland parties.
SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan is due to meet the Taoiseach later this week and Mr Trimble was also expected to hold talks with Dr Reid.
Mr Adams was also arranging meetings with Mr Ahern and Mr Trimble and US President George W Bush's special adviser on Northern Ireland, Mr Richard Haass, was planning talks with the North's leaders on Thursday.
PA