Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness has expressed concern to the US ambassador that senior party figure Rita O'Hare was denied permission by the US state department to accompany him on a visit to New York and Washington this week.
Mr McGuinness and Ms O'Hare met the ambassador James Kenny in Dublin on Saturday to update him on the peace process. They also queried why Ms O'Hare was denied a visa waiver to travel to the US with Mr McGuinness.
Mr McGuinness travels to the US on Wednesday, the day after the Independent Monitoring Commission in its latest report is expected to state that the IRA is still carrying out "punishment" attacks, targeting and surveillance, although it has no plans to end its "military" ceasefire.
Part of the reason for Mr McGuinness's trip will be to try to persuade US politicians and Irish America that notwithstanding the IMC report republicans are genuinely seeking to successfully conclude the peace process.
Ms O'Hare, because of past IRA involvement, is ineligible for a visa but for several years now the US state department has granted her visa waivers so that she could join senior Sinn Féin figures such as Mr McGuinness and party president Gerry Adams on US visits, and also act as the party's Washington representative.
Ms O'Hare was denied the waiver as a form of penalty for failing to adhere to the letter of the rules governing a recent visit by her to the US, it is understood. She deviated from the itinerary she provided to the state department by travelling to Florida to meet prominent Irish-American businessman Bill Flynn, it is believed.
The US state department told The Irish Times on Friday that this decision did not mark a change in policy regarding Sinn Féin. It is being viewed none the less as a cautionary warning from the US as the IRA prepares to issue its response to the call from Mr Adams for it effectively to stand down as a paramilitary force.
Mr McGuinness said after the meeting with Mr Kenny that Sinn Féin believes that there is now a "real opportunity to complete the work of bringing about a lasting peace in Ireland".
"We have been in contact with the Irish and British governments and the White House in recent days to get the process back on track. And I am due to travel to the US to meet with the US administration, members of Congress and Irish-American organisations," he said.
"We are concerned, however, at the refusal to grant a visa waiver to party representative Rita O'Hare who has been travelling to the US for almost seven years promoting the peace process, regularly meeting with US politicians and Irish America," he added.
Mr McGuinness said "huge concern" had been expressed at the decision by sympathisers in the US and that "many members" of Congress had protested to President George Bush's special envoy to Ireland Dr Mitchell Reiss and to the state department.
"I welcome the state department's statement that there has been no change in policy with regard to Sinn Féin," he added.
In Belfast yesterday Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams rejected the DUP leader Ian Paisley's assertion on Thursday that the Belfast Agreement was dead. He said "the reality" had been acknowledged by the Taoiseach on Friday, that any move forward had "to be bedded" in the agreement.
Meanwhile, SDLP leaders will meet the Taoiseach in Dublin today and British prime minister Tony Blair in Downing Street on Wednesday.
