Plans by the Irish and British Governments to breathe new life into the peace process and to reactivate the Northern Ireland institutions by scheduling multi-party talks before the end of the month have been placed in jeopardy by yesterday's disclosure of possible further republican intelligence-gathering activities at Stormont.
The questioning of a junior civil servant, who had worked in the offices of both Mr David Trimble and Mr Mark Durkan, was regarded by the UUP leader as having potentially massive repercussions because of the damage done to political trust. Four other individuals were charged with spying activities last month.
In spite of such malignant activities on behalf of the IRA, the two Governments have no option but to continue with their efforts to implement the wishes of the electorate on this island and to press forward with the objectives of the Belfast Agreement. The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has challenged the republican movement to recognise there is no longer any place for the IRA in today's altered political circumstances and he has called for "acts of completion" by all parties, in an interview with Frank Millar, published in this newspaper today. As for the activities of loyalist paramilitaries, Mr Blair has promised they will be treated as common criminals.
The creation of an effective and reformed police force, acceptable within both communities, has long been recognised as a critical component of the peace process. The British Government has moved in that direction. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has been established. And a report by Mr Dan Crompton of the Inspectors of Constabulary has sought further reform of the Special Branch. Legislation on policing is likely to be heralded in the Queen's Speech at Westminster next week and, following its publication, Sinn Féin will again be encouraged to join with the SDLP and the unionist parties on the Policing Board.
During recent days, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, and the new Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, have met representatives of the various political parties in an effort to agree the structure and content of early talks. Both Governments are anxious to make rapid progress next week. They are concerned that discussions should focus on major steps, rather than become bogged down in fine detail. Agreement will be sought in the areas of demilitarisation, decommissioning, policing and the stability of Northern institutions. But, given the IRA's decision to break off contact with the international decommissioning agency and the UUP's concerns about Sinn Féin's commitment to a purely democratic process, major difficulties lie ahead. While Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA remain symbiotically linked, those obstacles will remain. A sea-change in republican thinking is required to underpin the Belfast Agreement.