The Government is prepared to agree to a concession to unionists on police reform to boost Mr David Trimble's effort to persuade his party to re-enter the suspended power-sharing Executive in two weeks' time.
While insisting the new police force should not have RUC in its name and that the force's badge must be changed, Government sources last night acknowledged there was "scope for something" to be conceded in the next fortnight.
Following the historic IRA commitment at the weekend to "completely and verifiably" put weapons beyond use, the Ulster Unionist Council is expected to be asked by Mr Trimble to agree to rejoin the suspended Executive. The council is expected to meet on May 20th, two days before the institutions are due to be restored by the British government. As Mr Trimble yesterday sought clarification of how weapons would be dealt with and repeated his concerns over the RUC name and emblem, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said the two governments would now try to ensure Mr Trimble had the agenda he needed to convince his party to accept the deal.
Following the dramatic breakthrough over the weekend, police reform has now emerged as the key to successful restoration of the political institutions.
Mr Trimble warned yesterday that his ability to bring his party back into the North's government depended on the response to UUP concerns over the name and emblem of the reformed police force.
Indeed it has emerged that while agreement was reached on the new formula to deal with weapons early on Friday night, talks continued on the policing issue for a further three hours. Ultimately the late-night Hillsborough talks failed to reach agreement on UUP demands for some watering down of the changes proposed in the Patten report on policing, but the effort to find an acceptable formula will resume again today.
The Patten report on policing recommended the changing of both the name and badge of the reformed police service. However, the Ulster Unionist Council last February approved a motion linking any renewed UUP participation in the power-sharing institutions with the retention of the name and badge of the RUC.
Government sources insisted yesterday that the RUC name would not be retained as part of the title of the new police force - to be called the Police Service of Northern Ireland - and flatly rejected reports to the contrary. However, they also accepted the UUP had a problem on the policing issue and talks would take place between British and Irish officials today in an effort to find a formula acceptable to unionists and nationalists.
The Taoiseach said again yesterday he could not see any dilution of the Patten report. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, maintained he believed the British government would stand by its commitment to implement Patten in full.
However, the report does not specify every detail of the changes to be made and, for example, does not prescribe a particular new badge for the force. In addition, speculation continues that the constitution of the new force could state that it incorporates the RUC, without putting this title in the actual name.
"There may be some way to recognise the role of the RUC while getting rid of the name", according to a Government source. "Nobody has actually figured it out yet."
As well as repeating concern over the police issue, Mr Trimble yesterday said he wanted some clarification of the IRA statement that it would allow some of its weapons dumps to be inspected and monitored by third parties. Mr Ahern said the two governments would attempt to provide Mr Trimble with whatever clarification he required.
Clarification is also expected as to how the two governments will allow weapons dumps to be inspected regularly without the security forces North and South attempting to seize the illegal guns and explosives they contain.
"We have to explore just exactly what is meant by this inspection process, how it's going to be conducted, what procedures are going to be adopted to ensure that guns have remained secure," Mr Trimble said.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said that legislation on the implementation of the Patten proposals on police reform was due to be introduced in parliament at the end of the week, or next week at the latest, Gerry Moriarty adds from Belfast.
He refused to comment on speculation that there may be some concessions on policing in the detail of the legislation to help Mr Trimble sell the deal.