There is no question of the British government watering down the Patten recommendations, Downing Street insisted yesterday after the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, held "wide-ranging" talks, which included policing and the threat from dissident terrorists.
Against the backdrop of differences between the two governments over the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill, which will begin its Committee Stage in the House of Lords in September, Downing Street reiterated there would be a new name for the police force but stressed the RUC was not being disbanded. "Reconciling" these issues was an outstanding matter, a spokesman said.
"As Peter Mandelson said last week, there needs to be a new name for the police service - the Police Service for Northern Ireland. The RUC is not being disbanded. We are implementing Patten and there is not any question of watering it down," the spokesman added.
Downing Street said the two governments would continue to work together to counter the threat from dissidents following the discovery of a bomb on a railway line at Ealing, West London, last month. Talks on this issue and the Police Bill will proceed at official level during the summer break. A Downing Street spokesman yesterday said the meeting was a chance for Mr Blair and Mr Ahern to review "work in progress" before the summer. After the Downing Street meeting, which lasted 90 minutes, Mr Blair and Mr Ahern shook hands and embraced on the steps of Number 10. Mr Ahern described the meeting as "excellent". Earlier, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Mr Andrew Mackay, said the removal of the RUC's name from the Police Bill "would do grave damage to the peace process. It would actually destabilise the unionist community and it would also affect morale in the police force."
The president of Sinn Fein, Mr Gerry Adams, said the British government had "emasculated" the Police Bill. "The big problem isn't coming from the unionists . . . the big problem has come from the British government. "The officials who have run this place for the last 30 years and who have contributed to the 30 years of conflict have got at the report and have Peter Mandelson in their pockets."
The Taoiseach's partner, Ms Celia Larkin, accompanied him to Downing Street and is understood to have met Mr Blair's wife, Ms Cherie Blair.