Rift to be played down at London talks

THE Government will attempt to accelerate the all party negotiations to fill the political vacuum in Northern Ireland at today's important Anglo Irish Inter Governmental Conference meeting in London.

The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, and the Garda Commissioner designate, Mr Pat Byrne, will be present when the Chief Constable of the RUC. Sir Hugh Annesley, explains the circumstances surrounding the decision to allow the Orange Order to march down the Garvaghy Road at Drumcree last Thursday.

Following a week of public recriminations about the decision, which have led to a rift in Anglo Irish relations, Government sources were anxious last night not to allow the meeting to become bogged down in operational" justifications. "There will be an agreement to differ", said one key source.

The meeting, which was demanded by Dublin, is expected to have a dual focus according to Government sources.

Mr Spring will be asking the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, what arrangements are being put in place to avert another eruption of violence at the Apprentice Boys' march in Derry on August 10th, the day after the 25th anniversary of the introduction of internment.

He will also be pressing for an independent commission to be put in place to deal with the contentious issue of parades before next year's marching season.

In order to restore the primacy of politics in the North, Mr Spring will be seeking a means of accelerating the multi party talks to ensure that they begin to address substantive matters.

Against the background of renewed violence, there is considerable concern in Government circles that the talks are still deadlocked over procedural nice ties after 37 days. The time wasting concentration on rules and procedures would have to come to an end soon, said one source.

Despite the Government's concern, it did not appear last night as if Mr Spring would be encouraging the Northern secretary to put a guillotine on the procedural wrangling. He will, nonetheless, be seeking ways of ensuring that a sense of urgency is put into the talks to enable them to resume on the substantive agenda in September.

Government sources indicated last night that there were no plans for a telephone conversation between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister in the coming days. An early Anglo Irish summit was also ruled out.

The Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, said yesterday that there was no acceptable alternative to the talks. The events of the past week had served to remind everyone just how fragile peace was.

We have once again witnessed the tragic loss of life, we have seen democratic politics undermined and the peace process gravely damaged. But the peace process is not dead", Mr De Rossa stated.

The leader of the Progressive Democrats. Ms Mary Harney, said that the two governments should ensure that the multi party talks moved immediately to the main agenda if the peace process was to be saved. Today's Anglo Irish meeting should be used to seize the initiative back from the extremists, she added.