The Irish and British governments will today announce the cancellation of tomorrow's scheduled British-Irish Council meeting, saying that it would distract from the final push for agreement in the Northern talks.
The North's First Minister and Deputy First Minister appeared unaware yesterday of the governments' intention, with Mr David Trimble's spokesman saying that the meeting, due to take place at Dublin Castle, should go ahead. However, sources in both governments said that the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, were expected to announce the surprise move today as attempts to reach agreement on decommissioning, demilitarisation and the implementation of police reform enter a final intensive phase.
Irish and British sources said that officials would be too busy with the political talks to allow the meeting to go ahead. However, the postponement also avoids a potentially damaging row over Sinn Fein attendance. The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, expressed concerns at the weekend that Mr Trimble might exclude the Sinn Fein Health Minister, Ms Bairbre de Brun, as part of the sanctions imposed by the UUP on Sinn Fein in the absence of IRA decommissioning.
A Sinn Fein spokesman said that the party had clear indications last week that Mr Trimble was planning such a move and had conveyed its concerns to the two governments.
A spokesman for Mr Trimble said that the First Minister wanted the meeting to take place. Mr Trimble had not yet nominated any ministers to attend, he added, and there was "currently no basis on which to speculate" that he would not nominate Ms de Brun.
UUP sources, however, indicated earlier last week that Mr Trimble was under pressure from within his party to extend the ban on Sinn Fein ministers, which has so far affected only North-South Ministerial Council meetings.
Irish officials will have further talks with their British counterparts in London today and the Taoiseach is expected to meet Mr Blair during the week. Sources say that the minimum deal would involve an IRA agreement to re-engage with the de Chastelain commission on decommissioning, but with no timetable. In return, there would be some British movement on reducing its security presence.
The maximum deal, according to the sources, could involve an IRA commitment to discuss ways of decommissioning with the de Chastelain commission as well as a commitment to an actual timetable. In return, the British government would make more substantial moves on demilitarisation, such as the dismantling of major bases or installations and reducing troop numbers. A resolution of the position of republican prisoners "on the run" is also to be part of any deal.
Finally, the deal would have to include acquiescence by the North's nationalist parties to police reform plans. However, the SDLP and Sinn Fein have a number of requirements before they will contemplate this.
The Sinn Fein chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, dismissed comments by British government sources that officials needed time on the details of a deal as "nonsense", saying that they were "covering up for Mr Trimble". A British government spokesman said that Mr McLaughlin's accusation "completely lacked foundation".