Ahern calls for position of stability on North

A system of accountability must be put in place in the peace process so that a "breach or difficulty" does not lead to instability and the collapse of the North's institutions, the Taoiseach has told the Dáil.

Mr Ahern said he would like to drop the word "sanction", and move away from a situation where breaches were examined in such a way that "one person can decide it is not a good idea and that person can say 'I am getting out' and the system collapses".

The Taoiseach could not sign his name to an agreement that did not have a procedure in place to "deal with institutions that have managed to collapse four times in five years". It would be "irresponsible not to address the issue".

He told Sinn Féin's Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan) that "we have to arrive at a position of stability where there is a monitoring mechanism and outside events do not bring down the institutions". There was "no hidden agenda" on this he said. "This is all we are trying to achieve." Mr Ó Caoláin said there were already "adequate sanctions and safeguards" on this in the Belfast Agreement and he asked what assurances were there that a new Assembly would not be just as "topsy turvy" as the last one.

Mr Ahern was "satisfied" that the mechanism would be in compliance with the Agreement. They just wanted to ensure a system without the instability of the past when the institutions collapse for "possibly important or frivolous reasons".

Speaking in advance of his meeting tomorrow with the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, the Taoiseach expressed concern about arms finds. When he was asked by the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny if he believed all the parties were "committed to the peace process" and if they were all "upfront" in the light of recent arms finds, he replied that "I can only assure him that all the delegations and leadership groups I have been dealing with have assured me that they are committed".

"We have all tolerated quite a lot over a long period," he said. The recent arms find on the Ormeau Road in Belfast, was "clearly linked to the Provisional IRA. That is why it is so important that we get to acts of completion." Mr Ahern also referred to pipe bomb cases linked mainly to loyalists but to some dissident republicans as well.