THE need to avert a crisis at Drumcree during the marching season will be high on the agenda for next week's expected meeting between the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and the new British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair.
As well as the prospects for the political talks in the North, the imminent decisions on EU reform due at the Amsterdam summit next month will also be discussed at the meeting, expected on Thursday.
Mr Bruton warmly welcomed the Labour landslide, saying: "The fact that we now in Britain have a government with a strong majority will be very good from an Irish point of view. It will enable it to tackle issues with resolution with regard to Northern Ireland."
Government figures hope the IRA will declare a ceasefire in the belief that the new British government may make greater efforts than its predecessor to bring Sinn Fein into political talks.
"We hope Sinn Fein will interpret their mandate as a political mandate," said one source yesterday. "The new government is not dependent on unionist votes, has a strong mandate, is at the beginning of its term and can provide new energy and impetus."
A ceasefire now would add to that impetus, the source said. But if the IRA waits, British government attitudes will harden and its view of Northern Ireland will become dominated by the need to stand up to terrorism rather than find a solution, the source said.
Mr Bruton told reporters in Dublin yesterday that Sinn Fein had a right to be at the talks which resume on June 3rd "if there has been a ceasefire which is totally believable and which is matched by deeds".
Congratulating Mr Blair on his "stunning victory", Mr Bruton said the two governments would approach the talks process and the parades issue from a shared perspective.
Mr Bruton also welcomed the statement last week by Dr Mo Mowlam, expected to be the new Northern Secretary, that the rule of law would be upheld with regard to parades.
"The statement of Mo Mowlam and the strength of the British government's mandate will ensure that the rule of law will be applied on the basis of the very well-thought-out recommendations of the North Commission, which balance the rights of local communities not to be affronted and the right of people to demonstrate their views in the traditional way," he said.
He thought the election result would "inject a new energy into the talks process, and we stand ready to work with the British government on an agreed basis to inject new energy and purpose into the talks process."
Mr Bruton paid tribute to Mr John Major for his "immense" contribution to the search for a settlement in Northern Ireland.
Mr Bruton also said the result was good from Ireland's point of view in relation to European issues.
"The new government has a broadly favourable perspective on European issues," he said, and he believed it would take a pragmatic approach
Mr Spring also paid tribute to Mr Major, saying that his efforts in relation to Northern Ireland "deserved a better outcome than they received". He said: "The good relations between our two countries and the deep and long-lasting friendship between our two parties will now be deployed to ensure that the working relationship between our two governments will be the strongest it has ever been.