THE Irish and British governments have assured Mr George Mitchell that they still intend him to be chairman of the plenary sessions of the Stormont talks.
Their assurances followed yesterday's opening day of the talks, which was dominated by strong unionist objections to the role proposed for him by the two governments.
The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, met after the plenary session adjourned and afterwards jointly met Mr Mitchell. Later, Irish and British officials met the unionist parties to try to clarify the situation with them. An Irish source said that the unionists' outlook on Mr Mitchell was "not all that positive".
Mr Spring arrived back in Dublin last night, but will return to Belfast this morning in time for the resumption of the talks.
Fianna Fail refrained from issuing a statement on the Stormont talks last night but will raise the issue on the Order of Business in the Dail today.
Government sources appeared pessimistic last night that the issue of the chairmanship could be resolved quickly and appeared surprised at the strength of the unionist attempt to "unpick" the procedures and rules for the talks which had been proposed by the two governments.
The UUP, DUP and UK Unionists all objected to the proposal to give Mr Mitchell an over arching role" in the entire talks process. DUP delegates said that they objected to Mr Mitchell personally, while the UUP and UK Unionists said that their objections were to the broad powers being proposed for the former US senator.
The two governments have proposed Mr Mitchell to chair the plenary sessions of the talks and have an overseeing role in other areas of the process, as well as chairing the key sub committee on arms decommissioning.
"We don't want a supremo" said Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien, a delegate of the UK Unionist Party, as he left the talks. "Senator Mitchell can play an important role if the delegations are prepared to accept him . . . and get rid of this `supremo' nonsense and just make him an ordinary chairman."
Unionists proposed that a committee be established to discuss the role and choice of chairman.
The appointment of an international chairman such as Senator Mitchell with wide powers is a key aim of Sinn Fein for any talks in which it is to become involved. But at one stage yesterday the DUP proposed that the chairmanship of the talks be rotated between the main political parties, thus excluding Senator Mitchell.
As the wrangling went on, Mr Mitchell sat in an ante room near the talks chamber, listening to the proceedings on a monitor.
At the outset of the talks, unionists objected to the fact that the Tanaiste was to co chair yesterday's session with the Northern Secretary. A Government spokesman confirmed last night that Mr Spring had agreed to relinquish his role during yesterday's procedural wrangling.
Unionists said that they took grave exception to the attempt by the governments to decide the procedures and chairmanship of the talks without agreeing these issues with them first.