FIANNA Fail very much hoped that all parties would be at the table for substantive negotiations on Monday, the party leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said last night.
But Fianna Fail recognised that a renewed IRA ceasefire was necessary to make that possible. "Conditions are never ideal, but all party talks are about to take place now and everyone should be there from the outset," he said.
There was still a possibility that the Provisional IRA would reinstate the ceasefire, Mr Ahern said. He said his under standing was that recent Provisional IRA comments on the ceasefire had been made before the organisation had full access to the plan for the talks, and he added that he was hopeful Sinn Fein could still come to the table.
In a statement issued from Cork, Mr Ahern broadly welcomed the agreement on final arrangements for the conduct of the all party talks. He welcomed, in particular, the prominent role that "appears to have been given to Senator Mitchell and his colleagues".
A Fianna Fail delegation, led by Mr Ray Burke, met senior representatives of Sinn Fein yesterday to assess the peace process and the opening of all party talks on Monday. Official contacts are expected to continue over the weekend.