The Ulster Unionist Party leader has called on the RUC Chief Constable to explain the relationships between what he called "the different elements of the republican movement". Mr David Trimble was responding to questions on what action his party would take when Sinn Fein returned to the talks. He said he believed the talks process was becoming "increasingly dirty".
On Thursday the Northern Ireland Security Minister, Mr Adam Ingram, said elements of the IRA were involved in the killing last month of a Lurgan man, Mr Kevin Conway. Mr Trimble said he believed elements within the IRA were "supplying material, expertise and personnel with regard to incidents such as the Moira and Portadown bombs, which are then being ascribed to the Continuity Army Council".
In Derry yesterday the Northern Secretary said she believed the IRA ceasefire was holding.
Dr Mo Mowlam also said she had no conclusive evidence that Mr Conway's murder was "IRA-authorised". "We took action against Sinn Fein on February 20th on everything that had happened before that. Mr Conway was murdered on February 18th. We took everything into account and Sinn Fein were excluded. We now, after a period of exclusion, invited them back in. I have acted on the evidence I have, I have no more conclusive evidence," she said.
Asked if she would take action against Sinn Fein if she received conclusive evidence linking the IRA to Mr Conway's murder, Dr Mowlam said: "I have made it clear before that if I get conclusive evidence in relation to any group, I will act as I did in response to the UDP and as I did in response to Sinn Fein. I have no conclusive evidence that the IRA ceasefire has broken. All the evidence I have suggests it holds," she said.
Dr Mowlam said she did not believe that the statement by the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, that a political settlement was "agonisingly close" was raising false hopes. "You will have to ask him yourself what he based it on, but I agree with it, and for me the basis is that we have made a lot of progress. We have inclusive talks again when Sinn Fein walk back through the door, and I believe they will."
Mr Trimble said that since Sinn Fein's exclusion "nothing had happened to establish a commitment to peace". He believed it would become clear that the IRA was involved in Monday night's mortar attack on a police station in Armagh.
Responding to a report in yesterday's Irish Times that the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, would take personal charge of the final phase of the talks, Mr Trimble said this had not been discussed with him. He said it would be a high-risk manoeuvre because "the consequences of failure in that situation become quite considerable for the two governments".
At yesterday's meeting of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue, a report on possible electoral systems for an assembly was presented. The parties failed to agree on any particular electoral system. Mr Sean Neeson of the Alliance Party, who presented the report, said there was agreement on concerns over "very blatant electoral abuses" which had taken place in the past.