THE Taoiseach has thrown his weight behind the latest initiative aimed at securing an IRA ceasefire and getting Sinn Fein into multi party talks.
As the SDLP and Sinn Fein leaderships await a response from London to the proposals, Mr Bruton said yesterday he had reason to be hopeful.
A Government spokesman last night declined to say, however, if the Taoiseach was urging the British Prime Minister, Mr Major, to adopt the formula as a means of helping to save the peace process.
Meanwhile, republican sources last night indicated that Sinn Fein was not prepared to accept a waiting period before entering substantive talks.
According to Mr Bruton, it is clear an "unequivocal" ceasefire must take place initially and that there must be "satisfaction " that there would be no going back to violence.
"I am not making any predictions about the matter. I am not expressing optimism or pessimism. I am simply saying that I hope the work will bear fruit and I have reason to be hopeful that it will bear fruit," Mr Bruton added.
He was well aware that Mr John Hume in particular had been working tirelessly since the breakdown of the IRA ceasefire to establish its renewal "on a basis that will be entirely durable this time".
The SDLP leader had worked extremely hard with the "full support of the Irish Government" to create a situation which, this time, would lead to a lasting ceasefire. He had worked over a long period to create new political conditions where people could co operate with one another and where the Northern Ireland economy would "flower to its full potential".
The Government was "obviously aware of everything as it develops", he added. It also knew there was a serious rethink going on in the republican movement and there was a "realisation that violence is, literally, self defeating". Twenty five years of violence had "disunited Ireland" more than any external agent, Mr Bruton said.
A peace strategy, based on respect for the two identities on this island, was the way forward. As a result of the work of John Hume "and others", there was a growing sense of this in the republican movement.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, last night said that, as far as his party is concerned, "all citizens should be treated on the basis of equality".
"A real peace process must be inclusive. Those who argue in British and unionist circles for even more preconditions to be placed on Sinn Fein's entry to talks are not interested in real dialogue or progress.
"Sinn Fein has placed no precondition on dialogue because they [the preconditions] allow those who are afraid of negotiations and change an excuse not to get involved."
Support for the latest initiative also came from the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, who said such efforts should have everyone's backing. Adherence to the Mitchell principles upon entry to all party talks, alongside a ceasefire, should be sufficient to allow Sinn Fein into negotiations.
"The British government today ought to be making the same promises and exhortations that they did two years ago and the same effort to encourage a ceasefire. They should be open about the fact that they have no more reason to be embarrassed about working on initiatives to re-establish peace than they did in 1993-94," Mr Ahern said.
Meanwhile, the days had long gone when a majority could permanently disqualify, or discriminate against, any substantial minority of the population and ignore their electoral mandate.
The Progressive Democrats leader, Ms Mary Harney, said the opportunity presenting itself might not come again. Tee IRA must now make up its mind between peace and violence. Speaking in Sligo, she called for an immediate renewal of the ceasefire, saying the IRA could not have it both ways.
However, she also said there was an onus on constitutional politicians at the Stormont talks to begin discussing issues of substance.