Further arms dumps inspections `not enough' to resolve difficulties

The Taoiseach said further inspections of IRA arms dumps would not be enough to resolve the current difficulties in the Northern peace process.

Mr Ahern said he hoped that Mr Martti Ahtisaari and Mr Cyril Ramaphosa would continue to inspect the arms dumps.

"They have an understanding with the people with whom they keep in contact and then they report back to the two governments. It is hoped they will make further inspections. I think there should be more inspections, but that is not enough to resolve the issue.

"That is precisely the dilemma in which Mr David Trimble and his colleagues find themselves. If there is not more engagements in arms inspections, there will not be a conclusion."

The view of the republican movement was that if the British government had made more determined progress since May 6th, over six months ago, the process could have moved on in more unspecified, innovative and imaginative ways, the Taoiseach said.

He added that the way to deal with the issue was to be alert to the difficulties, to try to maintain momentum to resolve them, but not to overstate them.

"It is a pity that there are difficulties, but at the same time there has been immense progress and we must find resolutions to these difficulties in as calm a way as possible."

Mr Austin Currie (FG, Dublin West) said acceptable policing, meaning a police service young nationalists and republicans could join, was essential. He urged Mr Ahern to demand of the republican movement that there be some movement on decommissioning.

Mr Ahern said he had put the case made by Mr Currie repeatedly. "I never confuse the inspections with decommissioning, although they are helpful and have proved to be such. However, they will not resolve the entire problem."