All-party talks likely in final effort to save Agreement

All-party talks are looking more likely in a final effort to resolve the deadlock over the Belfast Agreement.

All-party talks are looking more likely in a final effort to resolve the deadlock over the Belfast Agreement.

Talks between the Government, the main pro-Agreement parties in Northern Ireland and the Northern Secretary Mr John Reid have broken up with little sign of significant progress.

The Taoiseach Mr Ahern held separate meetings with Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble and an Ulster Unionist Party delegation; Mr Seamus Mallon and SDLP leader Mr John Hume; and Sinn Féin President Mr Gerry Adams.

Many of the parties involved believe the Agreement will need to be reviewed if significant progress has not been made by the end of next week.

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Today's protracted exchanges went on after a call from the SDLP's Mr Seamus Mallon for new round-table talks aimed at overcoming the differences.

"I think we have got to draw this to a conclusion. I think the body politics simply cannot stand this constant uncertainty," Mr Mallon said.

Mr Mallon's suggestion was described as "constructive" by Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid after his first Dublin meeting earlier today with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Brian Cowen.

Dr Reid said the consequences of a failure to put the peace process back on tracks would be "awful".

The Government declined to make official comment on the idea but sources indicated they would not like to see all-party talks going ahead only to end in failure.

Mr Trimble said he would look closely at the proposal "if there was a clear determination to achieve results."

"We would have to be clear about the object of the exercise. What we think would not be of any value would be to have a loose series of discussions that would just be another trip around the houses," he said.

PA