THE Anglo Irish liaison group of senior government officials discussed developments in the peace process for more than four hours in Dublin yesterday.
Government sources said no arrangements had been made at this stage for a trilateral meeting involving the two governments and representatives of Sinn Fein. Neither government was excluding the possibility of such a meeting and were keeping the situation under review.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Progressive Democrats, Ms Mary Harney, said the renewal of paramilitary killings underlined the need for arms decommissioning.
"The appalling series of murders and beatings by the IRA cover group, Direct Action Against Drugs, not only underlines the fact that the paramilitary guns are no longer silent in Northern Ireland, but also underscores the importance of decommissioning illegal arms in the context of the peace process, she said in a statement.
Challenging Sinn Fein to condemn the violence, she continued: "Leaders of Sinn Fein must understand how much these killings undermine the credibility of republicans' claims to be committed to the peace process."