Ian Paisley dropped in for a chat with Bertie Ahern about the future of the North and it almost seemed normal, reports Mark Brennock
The Rev Ian Paisley was walking slowly up the steps of Government Buildings yesterday afternoon when a reporter shouted a question asking if he was "glad to be here".
The 78-year-old, who has led rejectionist unionism for close to four decades, paused before saying: "Where Ulster issues are discussed, you can't do without Ian Paisley".
This is, of course, a relatively new position - for most of his political life, if "Ulster issues" were being discussed in Government Buildings, Dr Paisley would ensure that those discussions took place without him. Neither he nor his party would talk to "a foreign government" about the internal affairs of Northern Ireland.
A decade ago, yesterday's meeting would have been seen as a momentous event. Yesterday the symbolism of the event was acknowledged, but there was no great fuss, no trotting out of the tired "historic" word.
It is a mark of the political progress that there is considerable interest in the content of yesterday's meeting, rather than simply the fact that it took place. It appears to have brought little progress on the issues that continue to block a lasting deal in the North - the DUP demand for changes in the Belfast Agreement to make ministers "accountable" to the Northern Assembly and the universal demand that the IRA disarm and go away for good.
Yesterday's meeting began at 3 p.m. and went on for two hours, about an hour longer than expected. However, sources on neither side reported great progress on the issues which are holding up the process.
The Government gave the DUP its assessment of what the IRA was prepared to do and when, in relation to ending all paramilitary activity permanently and disarming. It is not known what exactly the Government said, but it is widely expected that it was a positive assessment.
But while there have been reports of an IRA offer to disarm and pack in its activities completely, as required, Dr Paisley gave no indication that he was convinced on this.
"There is no evidence to suggest that there is any IRA offer on the table at the present time and we have indicated to Mr Ahern that more work will be needed in this area," he told reporters afterwards.
He also made it clear that the issue of "accountability" remains unresolved. The DUP does not want individual members of the Northern Ireland Executive to be able to take initiatives without being accountable to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
In particular, the party fears that nationalist ministers could press ahead with major developments in the North-South institutions which unionists would be powerless to prevent.
Nobody had expected yesterday's meeting to resolve this issue. Dr Paisley told reporters that the meeting arose from the decision at Leeds Castle "that we would continue discussions on the political institutions and the necessity to bring about changes to them".
His remarks also reflected the DUP suspicion that the North-South bodies could be seen by some as an engine to bring about greater political co-ordination North and South, rather than, as the DUP would insist, simply to bring about greater practical co-operation between neighbouring states.
"If we are to have a proper and ongoing basis for mutual co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, then it is essential that any relationship is accountable to the people of Northern Ireland through their elected representatives," Dr Paisley said.
"We are working towards a settlement for all the people of Northern Ireland and in so doing we wish to build a relationship with our neighbour that is practically based rather than politically motivated. No one has anything to fear from such an accountable North-South relationship of equal partnerships."
An "accountable North-South relationship" means different things to different people. However, both the DUP and the Government are keen to show that they accept the bona fides of the other and that they are committed to doing a deal.
It was the DUP which suggested the venue for yesterday's meeting, a substantial gesture to show that it is serious about the talks progress. Dr Paisley told reporters that the meeting was taking place "at a time of growing confidence in the Ulster unionist community", suggesting that it was this confidence which allowed it to break the taboo on discussing the North's internal affairs in Dublin with the Irish Government.
The Taoiseach, for his part, said after yesterday's meeting that the DUP was "not trying to change the fundamentals of the agreement". This positive statement suggests that the Government is taking the DUP's negotiating position at face value and believes that a deal can be done.
Next on the list may be a meeting between the Government and Sinn Féin on Monday, although this has not been confirmed.
Suspicions remain as to whether the DUP and Sinn Féin are fully committed to doing a deal quickly. However, each party says it is and rejects the cynical argument that by holding out, it would have a better chance of making gains at the next British general election at the expense, respectively, of the SDLP and Ulster Unionist Party.
Neither party has a rival on its extreme to shout "sell-out" if it compromises, goes the optimistic argument. Therefore there is nothing to gain from holding out.
Rather, by doing a deal, the parties once seen as the extremes could eat further into the middle-ground vote held by their rivals.