A North-South encounter in Enniskillen today involving the Minister of Health, Mr Martin, his Sinn Fein counterpart, Ms Bairbre de Brun, and SDLP Deputy First Minister Mr Seamus Mallon has been described by the Ulster Unionist Party as a "non-meeting".
The three Ministers are meeting in Enniskillen to discuss health and food safety North-South issues. They have conceded the meeting is outside the framework of the North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC) because of Mr David Trimble's decision to ban Sinn Fein from such meetings until the IRA engages with the decommissioning body.
Mr Trimble has insisted his ban would remain in place until the IRA re-engages with Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body. The Ulster Unionist Arts Minister, Mr Michael McGimpsey, in recent interviews described today's gathering as a "non-meeting".
"They can call it whatever type of meeting they wish but one thing it definitely is not is a North-South Ministerial Council meeting," added Mr McGimpsey. He said Sinn Fein ministers would remain "in detention" until the IRA dealt with the decommissioning body.
The Irish Government, the SDLP and Sinn Fein attach great significance to the meeting. While agreeing it is not an official NSMC meeting, they believe their presence in Enniskillen today emphasises nationalist Ireland's commitment to the North-South dimension of the Belfast Agreement.
The Sinn Fein ardchomhairle is meeting in Dublin today to discuss whether Mr Trimble's ruling should be legally challenged. Ms de Brun did not rule out such a possibility when she spoke to the press on Wednesday.
Ms de Brun said she would continue to work in the best interests of the community, and she would not allow Mr Trimble to "play party politics with health and social services".
She said Mr Trimble's action was "discriminatory and antidemocratic" and while the meeting was not organised under the NSMC it was crucial the ministers meet today. The Deputy First Minister, Mr Mallon, said he was travelling to Enniskillen to help preserve the "integrity" of the Belfast Agreement and all its institutions. "I shall stress to Mr Martin my determination to see the institutions established by the Good Friday agreement work normally in all aspects and ask him to co-operate in ensuring the least possible disruption to the important work on health and food safety issues," he added.
Today's North-South business will include the launching of the Food Safety Promotion Board and announcements relating to cancer, the use of folic acid among women planning pregnancy, and cross-Border accident and emergency hospital services.
The decision by the Government to send Mr Martin to Enniskillen to meet
Ms de Brun, and Mr Mallon's decision to attend were implicitly criticised yesterday by the First Minister, Mr Trimble.
In a UTV interview, he said the decision to impose the ban on Sinn Fein did not necessarily damage the institutions, but rather the reaction to it could cause problems. Mr Trimble said he would "counsel people to react calmly and to not make matters worse".
In the London Times yesterday, Norther Ireland Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson said two things must happen: "The ban on Sinn Fein ministers attending North-South meetings must be lifted and the IRA must re-engage properly with Gen De Chastelain.
"It is not a matter of one or the other. It is both."
