The Taoiseach and the North's First Minister yesterday sought to play down fears of an impending crisis in the peace process, saying they believed "problems" over police reform could be overcome.
As unionists privately warned that an early challenge to Mr David Trimble's authority from within his own party was becoming more likely, Mr Trimble said he did not want to "over-hype" the seriousness of the problem. "There are problems and it doesn't take a genius to work out how they can be exacerbated," he said.
Speaking after an hour-long meeting with Mr Ahern at Government Buildings, Mr Trimble said he believed the problems could be "worked through", saying it was "not beyond the wit of man" to resolve them.
At yesterday's meeting Mr Trimble outlined the difficulties he said were undermining the agreement in the eyes of unionists. These included the loyalist violence, much of which, it is believed, is being carried out by prisoners released under the agreement. He also said there was unionist concern at the reduction in the British military presence, as well as the proposed reduction in police visibility proposed in the Patten report, at a time when republican dissidents were seen as a serious security threat.
Government sources said later that a resolution of these issues was not in the gift of the Government, but that it could use its influence on the SDLP, Sinn Fein and the British government. Mr Ahern reflected this position in his comment that even if the Government came up with a proposed resolution, it was necessary to "carry everybody with us".
Mr Ahern said they had talked about "recent events" and "discussed the issues we have to deal with". He said the threat posed by dissident republicans was "of great concern to me". They had looked at other aspects of the agreement where they still needed to see further work done. Commenting on recent violence, Mr Trimble said they wanted "to make sure we actually do have peace". On the loyalist feud, he said: "We are extremely concerned about the violence that has erupted."
He said he had told Mr Ahern his thinking on the current difficulties facing unionism and the Belfast Agreement in the wake of the South Antrim by-election. The problems were not insurmountable, he said. "We've been told we've been in very serious situations before."
The Taoiseach sought to play down suggestions of an impending crisis. "I see problems as challenges and opportunities," he said. "I don't necessarily see them as difficulties. These are all obstacles we have to deal with. I don't see them as major difficulties."
Mr Trimble also sought to play down the difficulties over unionist resistance to aspects of the Patten report on police reform, which nationalists and the Government demand should be implemented in full. "I would not focus too much on Patten," he said. "We discussed a range of issues. Patten is one."