The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister are determined that this morning's talks with the Northern parties at Downing Street will "lay the foundations" for intensive negotiations in September that could lead to a restoration of devolution, according to senior British and Irish officials.this autumn
Mr Ahern and Mr Tony Blair are prepared to put time aside and engage in direct dialogue with the parties in September. They are concerned, however, that possible marching season violence - which, most imminently, could flow from tomorrow's Orange Order Whiterock parade - could jeopardise attempts to reactivate the Stormont institutions, the officials warned.
The prospects of the parade going through part of nationalist west Belfast with the mutual consent or acquiescence of nationalists and unionists remained on a knife-edge last night, although the fact that loyalist and nationalist representatives met yesterday evening has raised some cautious hopes of a breakthrough.
The Parades Commission banned Orangemen from parading along the Springfield Road tomorrow because they refused to engage with local nationalists and because a band linked to the UVF played in last year's parade while other marchers carried UVF banners.
The Commission, however, is reviewing that decision and if it judges that progress was made at yesterday evening's meeting involving nationalists and unionists - some of whom were there as individual members of the Orange Order - it could allow the Orangemen march along the Springfield Road or some acceptable alternative route.
"Some form of honourable compromise is badly needed here," one British source said. Without early agreement the Whiterock parade could "dominate" today's proceedings. The erection of a "Kill All Taigs" sign opposite the Springfield Road on the unionist side of the peaceline hasn't helped the atmosphere, although both sides said they engaged sincerely in last night's talks.
British and Irish sources stressed that Mr Ahern and Mr Blair believed that a calm summer was "absolutely crucial" to establishing the "foundations" for comprehensive, positive talks in September. "That's why there is so much concern over the Whiterock parade," added a Dublin source.
The governments and the parties agree that there won't be a political breakthrough at today's meetings but that a detailed agenda could be established for the September negotiations. There is some concern, however, that some of the parties would prefer to defer agreement until after the next Westminster elections, which could take place in the summer or autumn of 2005.
Recent comments from the DUP deputy leader Mr Peter Robinson in particular, warning that it "would take time" to restore devolution, has worried the governments. Consequently, a key concern of Mr Ahern and Mr Blair today will be to impress on the parties the requirement for agreement in the autumn, said British and Irish officials yesterday. "Mr Ahern and Mr Blair will try to take these talks by the scruff of the neck so that something meaningful can happen in the autumn," said a talks insider last night.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin criticised the Irish Government for failing to send an observer to yesterday's agm of Lisburn City Council. Mr Paul Butler said the Government promised to send an official to observe how unionists were refusing to share power. A Government source said the observer decided against attending but that he yesterday met Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party after the meeting.