The British Prime Minister will meet the Taoiseach at Farmleigh this afternoon to review the peace process and the Belfast Agreement in the wake of the inconclusive outcome last Thursday to the latest phase of negotiations.
The summit takes place in the shadow of the IRA's refusal to give the necessary clarity on issues fundamental to democratic life on this island: the decommissioning of arms, the final closure of the conflict, and the ending of all specified paramilitary activities. All sides are bruised. Mr Ahern disagreed with Mr Blair's decision to postpone the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland until the autumn. But, the two governments are expected to signal their firm intent to move forward with elements of the Agreement, notwithstanding Sinn Féin's attempt to create divisions between them.
Today's stock-taking will be difficult but, like the process undertaken over the past six months to achieve acts of completion from all, it requires clarity. Almost 10 years after the IRA ceasefire, and five years after the signing of the Belfast Agreement, the two governments were able to publish a Joint Declaration with a commitment to diminish the British military presence in Northern Ireland in three stages to pre-1969 levels. They made advances on policing. The negotiations stalled, however, when Sinn Féin and the IRA were either unable or unwilling to make a public commitment to end all paramilitary activities. As a consequence, the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr Trimble, would not guarantee the stability of the political institutions.
The failure to get the necessary commitments from the IRA is serious since they were to be placed in the context of acts of completion from other parties. At the start of the negotiations last November, the two governments asked the IRA to issue volunteers with orders to observe military disciplines consistent with the ending of all violent conflict and paramilitary activity. They named targeting, intelligence gathering, military training, direct or indirect arms procurement or manufacture, punishment beatings, orchestration of riots, exiling or other forms of criminal behaviour. They suggested this move would be required to bring matters to a conclusion.
Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor of this newspaper, outlined what transpired in Saturday's editions. The IRA presented the two governments with a revised final text of its statement on April 13th. Mr Blair then sought clarifications on three key questions from the president of Sinn Féin, Mr Adams. Two of the three responses were adequate. The IRA was not prepared, however, to embrace any of these clarifications.
In these circumstances, the IRA's decision to publish its statement to the governments is to be welcomed. Their commitments will be opened up to public scrutiny. And all will see with their own eyes the high water mark that has been reached in the peace process. There is a chasm to be breached in the transition to democracy.