Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has reiterated his determination to press ahead with the British-Irish plan to convene the Northern Assembly before the summer, despite objections raised by Sinn Féin and the SDLP.
After his meeting in Brussels with British prime minister Tony Blair yesterday, Mr Ahern said it was time that Northern Ireland politicians did what they were elected and paid to do.
"I am asking them and urging them to go with our proposals when we publish them in a couple of weeks," said the Taoiseach.
In the first week of April, close to the eighth anniversary of the Belfast Agreement, Mr Ahern and Mr Blair are aiming to unveil their proposals to reactivate a time-limited Assembly that would meet in Stormont in May.
They will be in continuing contact with the Northern parties over the coming 10 days to try to persuade them that their plan can work and to consider any counter-proposals. They will argue to Sinn Féin and the SDLP that the plan is broadly compliant with the Belfast Agreement.
As currently outlined, the plan involves:
- recalling the Assembly in May and, six weeks later, attempting to form an executive in the expectation that this will not be possible;
- creating a mechanism whereby the Assembly can remain in existence through the summer;
- calling a summer Assembly recess, reactivating the Assembly in September and, in late autumn, again attempting to form an executive; and
- if this fails, dissolving the Assembly and stopping Assembly salaries.
The Taoiseach emphasised that the issue had to be pushed to a conclusion this year.
"It is clear this has to be a decisive year. We are working on a common strategy and today we had a chance of looking at progress," said Mr Ahern.
"We will find a mechanism to keep the Assembly going for a period of time so that it can do real business. All the parties will have an opportunity to discuss their plans for the future," he added.
Asked about the objections of Sinn Féin and the SDLP to the notion of prolonging the life of the Assembly beyond six weeks, the Taoiseach said: "It would be an easy thing for them to meet, to run D'Hondt, and go out again, but that is not a strategy.
"The parties in Northern Ireland have to take responsibility. It is more than three years since the Assembly members did their business in the way they were elected to do and paid to do."
The Taoiseach said the way had been cleared for the parties to get down to business.
The issue of the IRA had been dealt with, the issue of arms had been resolved and decisive action was being taken to wind up criminality. With all of that out of the way there was no real impediment to political progress.
It is a clear statement from the Taoiseach that he will not be deflected from his determination to get the institutions established under the Belfast Agreement this year.
He is clearly confident that Sinn Féin and the SDLP will take their places in the Assembly, despite their reservations.
In a speech in Dublin today Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is expected to say he would not accept a "repackaging" of a plan to establish a "shadow" Assembly. He is likely to say, however, that Sinn Féin would consider the British-Irish plan.
DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson indicated that his party would co-operate with the attempt to create phased full devolution.