THE Sinn Fein ardchomhairle member, Mr Martin McGuinness, has outlined the steps that he says the British government must take if an IRA ceasefire is to be reestablished.
Speaking in Tralee, Co Kerry, last night, Mr McGuinness said that his party "cannot deliver anything" unless the British government makes it clear that it will not treat a new IRA cessation "in the same way that it treated the last one".
It is my firm view, in light of all the events of the past three years, since John Hume and Gerry Adams first identified the means by which this conflict could be permanently ended, that we all need to embrace a peace process in a spirit of good faith," Mr McGuinness said.
According to Mr McGuinness, British government must ensure that there is "a credible process of talks, without preconditions, on a broadly acceptable time frame and with which everyone can engage in initiatives to build confidence".
British sources last night appeared encouraged by the tone of Mr McGuninness's speech, particularly by his reference to "an indicative time frame" for the talks.
An initial indication of the British government's response may be forthcoming later today in the speech by Sir Patrick Mayhew the Northern secretary in Manchester. However a definitive statement of the British attitude to the talks process, which Dublin has been pressing for, is believed to be at least some days away.
In his speech Mr McGuinness insisted that " a convincing negotiating process" must reflect the reality that there could be no internal settlement. It must also tackle critical issues raised by the lack of equality of treatment, discrimination, the police service, "the absence of a proper legal and judicial system", the protection of human rights, and the release of all political prisoners.
A historic opportunity still existed "if only John Major is prepared to take risks for peace".
"A credible process of negotiations must also see the removal of all preconditions. The demand of an IRA surrender - for the decommissioning of their weapons - as a precondition for Sinn Fein's entry in talks, is an obstacle to negotiations."
The removal of guns from Irish politics was an "obvious objective of the peace process, not a precondition to involvement or progress in the process".