THERE was all party condemnation of the Wednesday night's bomb explosion in London and renewed calls for a restoration of the IRA ceasefire.

The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, on behalf of the Government, welcomed the fact that all parties, including Sinn Fein and the SDLP, had now stated their intention to contest the elections in Northern Ireland.

"It is the Government's objective that all parties will be at the table on June 10th for all party talks. In that context, the bomb which was detonated in Hammersmith last night does not improve the situation or do anything to achieve that objective," said Mr Noonan.

Condemning the explosion, the Fianna Fail leader said it would not be helpful to the ongoing work of trying to re enact the peace process. Mr Bertie Ahern added that he welcomed the fact that the way was clear for all parties to participate in the electoral process. He urged the Government to ensure that no party would be excluded - the IRSP being one of them - from the electoral process.

The PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, said the explosion was a further cynical exercise, adding that the absence of the IRA ceasefire remained the greatest obstacle in the way of meaningful negotiations on June 10th. Sinn Fein should use its enormous influence, as the political wing of the IRA, to have the ceasefire restored.