The start of a recruitment campaign for a new police service in Northern Ireland has been delayed as pressure intensifies to end the deadlock threatening the future of the peace process.
RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan announced the decision today as he prepared for talks in Dublin with Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne on the continued security threat by loyalists and dissident republicans.
He said: "A full-blooded recruitment campaign is being held back in the hope that support from nationalists, republicans and the Catholic Church will be forthcoming."
Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is heavily involved in behind-the-scenes attempts to end the deadlock over decommissioning, demilitarisation and future policing arrangements, will return Belfast if be believes a deal on the three key issues can be reached.
Consultants hired by the RUC to begin the campaign were ready to launch their recruitment drive on Friday, but the Northern Ireland Office tonight admitted it had agreed to pay fees for cancelled TV advertising time.
No new launch date has been set, but if the government is to achieve its long term aim of recruiting an equal number of Protestants and Catholics into a new force, then the backing of its policing plans by Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and the SDLP, as well as senior Catholic churchmen, is critical.
The Chief Constable was in Dublin for talks with Commissioner Byrne at the same time as an SDLP delegation headed by Mr John Hume met the Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahern.
The two police chiefs discussed the ongoing terrorist threat by dissident republicans opposed to the peace process and the widening pipe bomb campaign by loyalist paramilitaries against Catholic families in several parts of Northern Ireland.
British and Irish officials were involved in more talks in London tonight, but Mr Blair is only expected back at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down if he believes an agreement can be reached. A source close to the discussions said: "They are still going in the right direction, but we are not guaranteed any outcome."
Sinn Féin policing spokesman Gerry Kelly told BBC Radio Ulster: "I think we have to get the policing issue right and the fact that Ronnie Flanagan has put this back a few weeks is not the issue.
"I could take a cynical view that he is setting another deadline but we have to get the legislation right. If we haven't got new policing, then an independent recruiting agency is of no benefit because they could be recruiting for a repackaged RUC."
A delegation from the SDLP reviewed difficulties currently confronting the peace process in Dublin tonight with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
After the 90-minute discussions, SDLP leader John Hume said it had been "a very good meeting".
He reported: "We want to get matters resolved and our discussions tonight were about that.
"We are also in regular contact with the British government about these matters, and I know that they are in touch with the other parties, so we hope to make progress sooner, rather than later."
PA