Mr Bruton's appeal at Finglas for a constructive and creative spirit on all sides involved in the search for peace in Northern Ireland finds an echo in Mr Major's statement which we publish today. The British prime minister can make no promises as to the outcome of the talks; that is clear enough. But he can give undertakings as to how they will be conducted, and what the role of his own government will be. And this he does. The talks, he says, will be "genuine and serious", their aim, "to reach a comprehensive settlement, covering all the issues of concern and acceptable to all concerned". The British government, adds, will "work unremittingly to make a success of them."
It would be surprising if, at this stage, Mr Major had anything entirely new to say about the political process. His statement repeats agreed policy that decommissioning must come at the head of the agenda, but that it must not be the pretext for blocking discussion on other issues; also that the aim will be to agree on how the Mitchell recommendations on decommissioning should be handled. This, he acknowledges, is a formidable challenge, but not insuperable. It is linked to the question of confidence building, without which it is difficult to see how any meeting of minds is possible. The end result must involve compromise by everyone (a part of the message that is not addressed exclusively to Sinn Fein).
What does matter in the statement is its tone and the context in which it appears. Mr Major makes it as clear as words can do, that his government will play a facilitating role in the talks, and that he sees a genuine possibility of success. This, of course, does not depend on himself or his government but on the various political interests taking part. If they persevere, however, and ignore the temptation to pull out when difficulties arise, he says, "the gap (between them) is by no means unbridgeable".
In detail the statement covers the points made by the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, whose assertion earlier this week that nothing would be ruled out of the talks agenda and that nothing was preordained, was given a positive reaction by Mr Mitchel McLaughlin of Sinn Fein. The agenda is open, Mr Major says, all parties will be treated equally, no one can be forced to agree, and nothing is predetermined. Crucially, in view of Sinn Fein's belief that a term for the talks should be fixed, Mr Major declares, "No one wants to drag out the process". It is easier to specify when talks should begin - as Sinn Fein also requested - than when they should end. What is important is that, once started, the momentum should be maintained.
What more is needed to persuade Sinn Fein and the IRA that the political process will not be a trap? There are negative signals from the DUP, but Mr David Trimble of the UUP has been cautiously positive. The key question of the involvement of Mr George Mitchell still has to be settled. But the main issue, it is clear, is the political will in Sinn Fein and the IRA to break the deadlock. Mr Major's statement addresses the issues that their spokesmen have raised, and gives the required assurances. The next step on the political agenda is to reinstate the ceasefire, and admit Sinn Fein to the negotiating process.