RUC recruitment drive postponed pending talks

The RUC chief constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, has postponed a recruitment drive for the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the hope that the current intensive political negotiations could lead to a deal that would win nationalist support for the new force.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, are ready to travel to Northern Ireland if a deal is attainable on the linked areas of policing, demilitarisation and paramilitary arms disposal.

Last night, Mr Ahern and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, and Mr Blair were all keeping in close touch with their most senior officials as they attempted to resolve outstanding difficulties. Sir Ronnie is hoping that these talks will lead to a political breakthrough. He has delayed the start of a major recruitment campaign for the new force to see if Catholics can be generally encouraged to join the new police service.

"A full-blooded recruitment campaign is being held back in the hope that support from nationalists, republicans and the Catholic Church will be forthcoming," said Sir Ronnie, who yesterday met the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, in Dublin.

"The delay can only be for a short duration, given the pressures brought about by natural retirement and the take-up of the Patten severance arrangements," added Sir Ronnie.

As is characteristic of this stage of the talks, the mood last night was one of hope mixed with caution. "We are still travelling in the right direction, but the outcome is not guaranteed," said a London source.

The main parties are aware of the central elements of a possible deal. The main obstacles to be overcome are understood to relate to policing.

An SDLP delegation led by Mr John Hume and Mr Seamus Mallon met the Taoiseach in Dublin yesterday. Mr Alban Maginness, an MLA and delegation member, told The Irish Times yesterday evening that "considerable progress" has been made on the SDLP's policing demands relating to operational matters such as the RUC Special Branch, the closure of Gough barracks, and the disbandment of the full-time RUC Reserve.

"Everything isn't finalised but we are making a fair degree of progress," Mr Maginness added.

Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams, however, said there must be more progress on policing before the new service would be acceptable to nationalists. Without movement from the British side on police reform there would be no point in a visit by Mr Blair this week, he added.

"Thus far, even though there was some limited progress in recent days, there has been not enough progress to allow nationalists and republicans and those of us who want a new beginning to policing, for example, to be able to embrace the type of proposals that the British are putting together," he told BBC Radio Ulster yesterday morning.

"If Mr Blair comes in without having sorted all of that out then he is making a pointless visit," he added. These talks were the most intensive he had experienced since the week leading to the Belfast Agreement in April 1998, said Mr Adams.

Up to last night the Ulster Unionist Party leader Mr David Trimble was planning to proceed with a five-day visit to the United States beginning this evening. However he could change his plans if it becomes clear that Mr Ahern and Mr Blair are to travel to Hillsborough, said sources closed to the First Minister.