Ahern prepares to meet Trimble next week

The Government is hoping that a formula for arms decommissioning can surmount increasing difficulties over the timescale for setting up the three institutional structures in the Belfast Agreement.

This was confirmed to The Irish Times yesterday as preparations were being made for a meeting between the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, in Dublin on Wednesday.

Government sources are attempting to play down emerging differences before Wednesday's meeting, insisting that "it is not the moment for megaphone diplomacy".

Behind the scenes, they hope Gen John de Chastelain, head of the decommissioning body, can break the impasse which prevents Mr Trimble from participating in government with Sinn Fein ministers.

Differences between the Government and the SDLP and Sinn Fein on one hand, and Mr Trimble on the other, over the timescale for the inaugural meetings of the NorthSouth Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Council and formation of a shadow Executive in Northern Ireland will be high on the agenda.

Mr Trimble is urging that the two councils be established next month, before the new Executive. The Government insists privately that it is implicit in the agreement that the three new institutional structures are interdependent and interlocking.

If Gen de Chastelain was able to schedule a timetable for decommissioning, sources wonder if such a formula, short of the production of "hardware", would be acceptable to Mr Trimble. They are also assessing if the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, could sell it.

Although the Government is not expecting an early breakthrough in the latest difficulties, it is optimistic that progress on all elements of the agreement will proceed.

Commenting on his way back from Hong Kong overnight, Mr Ahern said he believed the shadow Executive should be "up and running as soon as possible". He acknowledged, however, that there were difficulties.