Ahern sees difficulties in absence of agreement on executive by Christmas

The Taoiseach has warned that failure to get agreement on the Northern executive and North-South bodies by Christmas would create "enormous difficulties" for the peace process. He has also indicated that the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, could not deliver such agreement without a gesture on decommissioning.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that moves to have EU programmes and business development as areas for North-South implementation bodies are still being strongly resisted in the negotiations.

Agreement has been reached in principle that agriculture, health, transport and environment will be among the six joint policy co-ordination bodies (which include pre-existing bodies North and South). Tourism, inland waterways, marine and aqua-culture and food safety are among the agreed implementation bodies.

Responding to a series of questions from Opposition leaders in the Dail yesterday, Mr Ahern bluntly stated that if they did not get finality on the number of departments in the Northern executive and the North-South bodies before Christmas, "we will definitely create for ourselves enormous difficulties".

He had made this position clear to people, including the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, in the last week. "I am hopeful that these matters will be resolved before Christmas but I really think that if they are not, we will make a terrible mistake," Mr Ahern said.

Asked by the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, if he believed it would be possible to have a functioning executive without some progress on decommissioning, Mr Ahern said: "It will be very difficult to do that. I do not see Mr Trimble being able to deliver on that without some positive sign from the paramilitary organisations. Frankly, I do not think it is within his call."

Responding to the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, he confirmed that there was no truth in the rumour that the Department of Agriculture and Food had resisted having agriculture in a North-South body. Mr Trimble and his colleagues had "great difficulty" with the proposal that the IDA and the Industrial Development Board operate on such a North-South basis.

Mr Ahern agreed to a proposal from Mr Quinn to brief Opposition leaders on the legislation which is required to be passed by February arising from the Belfast Agreement.