Agreement on an amnesty for on-the-run paramilitaries will not be reached by the end of March deadline set by British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair, Downing Street said today.
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Mr Tony Blair:had talks
with the Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams yesterday and is meeting Democratic Unionist leader Dr Ian Paisley tonight |
Mr Blair had talks with the Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams yesterday and is meeting Democratic Unionist leader Dr Ian Paisley tonight.
However, no consensus on how to handle the issue is in sight.
First Minister and Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble is opposed to any blanket amnesty and has said he does not believe the British government would get such a deal through the Commons.
"We have said this is a difficult and sensitive issue and that remains the case," Mr Blair's official spokesman said today.
"I don't expect that the process of thinking that through will deliver any result in the immediate future, certainly not before Easter and I think it might take some time after that.
This morning The Timesnewspaper reported that a deal to allow 30 IRA fugitives to return to Britain and escape jail had been agreed privately by Mr Blair and Mr Adams.
The deal was discussed yesterday during talks in Downing Street, it said.
Under terms of the compromise, yet to be finalised according to the newspaper, the fugitives would be granted immediate bail on giving themselves up.
They would then possibly face criminal charges and a trial, but only on the understanding that they would immediately be released on licence if convicted and would remain on bail throughout.
Those to be granted amnesty, including prisoners who escaped from the Maze prison, near Belfast, all committed their offences before the Belfast Agreement was signed in 1998.
Mr Blair had originally planned to grant amnesty to 100 IRA members in a bid to encourage disarmament, but such a move was thrown out after British MPs voiced concern of a likely collapse to the Agreement.
PA