THE Tanaiste is expected to raise the issue of the Harryville protests, and the approach of the marching-season when he meets the Northern Ireland Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, in Belfast this afternoon.
The meeting takes place on the initiative of the Irish Government and Mr Spring will be seeking to discuss the British government's intentions on the implementation of the North Report on parades and marches.
Dublin sources said there were "ominous indications" that last year's disturbances could be repeated. "This must be avoided at all costs in our view."
The stalling of the multi-party talks will also be raised. The two men will tease out when and how the talks might be suspended for the period of the Westminster election and the possibilities for progress before the election is called.
There is a desire on both sides to suspend the talks in such a way that they can be resumed with the minimum of fuss after the Westminster poll - what the British side is calling a "soft landing".
Yesterday's plenary session of the talks at Stormont Castle lasted about three hours. All participating groups contributed to the debate but sources said there was still no breakthrough on the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons.
The round-table discussion was chaired by Mr Harri Holkeri, deputising for Senator George Mitchell, who was in the US. Mr Holkeri was asked to take sounding from the participants on decommissioning before the resumption of the plenary session with Mr Mitchell in the chair next Wednesday morning.
The British government was represented by Sir Patrick and the Minister for Political Development, Mr Michael Ancram. The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, represented the Government.
The deputy leader of the Alliance Party, Mr Seamus Close, said afterwards: "Electoral paralysis has set in and the necessary movement needed to break the logjam will not happen."
The SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, said it had taken three years to establish the format of the talks and he stressed the need to ensure that framework would still be in place after a "short suspension" for the election.
The leader of the Ulster Democratic Party, Mr Gary McMichael, said: "We understand the practical difficulties which an election will present but at the same time still believe there is an opportunity to make some progress between now and then and we'll be asking for a more pro-active approach to the unresolved issue of decommissioning."