Opposition parties in Dublin have reacted positively to the decision to expel the Ulster Democratic Party from the inter-party talks. However, last night they expressed the hope that the party would return to the talks after having re-affirmed its commitment to the Mitchell Principles.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said it was very important that respect for the principles should be demonstrated "in deed as well as word".
"The important thing now is that the talks address the detailed questions that must be settled if workable institutions are to be put in place. This is a task of immense complexity that requires concentrated and urgent work," Mr Bruton added.
According to the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, the UDP's withdrawal - prior to the two government's announcement - was "in the best interest of the talks process as a whole".
"I am pleased that the UDP has once again re-affirmed its commitment to the overall process and I welcome, too, the announcement by both governments that they would remain in contact with the party." Stating he looked forward to the day when the UDP could be readmitted to the talks, "and when the groups they represent can re-commit themselves to the Mitchell Principles", he stressed that the onus was now on them to convince all the parties involved in the process that their return to a ceasefire was "real and permanent".
The Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said courageous political leadership was now required on all sides to ensure that the process did not founder. "The announcement by the UFF that it had been responsible for a number of recent murders was inevitably going to raise problems about the involvement of the UDP in the talks process, given the party's previous commitment to the Mitchell Principles." However, "everyone has acknowledged the positive contribution" made to the process by UDP leaders like Mr Gary McMichael.
"I hope, once a sufficient period of time has elapsed to confirm the bone fides of the UFF statement that it has halted violence, that the UDP will be able to take its place at the talks table once again," Mr De Rossa said.
Meanwhile, Mr Quinn said that the work stoppage proposed by Solidarity to Organise Peace (STOP) would send a "blunt message to the extremists in Northern Ireland that the killing must stop".
Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins said he will use tomorrow's resumption of the Dail to seek political backing for Friday's trade union rallies against the latest killing in the North.
Mr Higgins has tabled a question to the Taoiseach asking him to support the rallies.
"The peace process is faltering because of the failure of the politicians to show a way forward. On Friday, working people, both Catholic and Protestant, have the opportunity to show their disgust at the sectarian killings and to begin to take the peace process into their own hands," he said.