Dublin resists pressure for break in contacts with SF

THE Government is expected to political pressure to severe contacts between senior officials and Sinn Fein during the special one day debate on Northern Ireland in the Dail today.

It is understood that the question of maintaining contacts was reviewed by members of the Cabinet sub committee on Northern Ireland following the IRA's admission of responsibility for the massive bomb attack on the British army headquarters in Lisburn.

No significant change in Government policy, or tactics, is expected to emerge during today's debate, which was proposed by the Taoiseach to send out a clear and unambiguous message that violence is not condoned.

The Government is also considering the possible merits of publishing its proposed legislation on decommissioning at this time. The opposition party leaders, Mr Bertie Ahern and Ms Mary Harney, have been briefed on its contents in recent days.

The decommissioning legislation, in both jurisdictions, was recommended in the Mitchell report to deal with the orderly destruction of armaments during the Northern talks process.

Informed sources indicated yesterday that some consideration was being given to the publication of this legislation to show the Government's "good faith" towards unionists.

A thin thread of optimism emerged in Belfast yesterday on the prospects for the loyalist paramilitary ceasefire holding firm when the leaders of the fringe loyalist parties pledged to make every effort to prevent further violence.

The Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC), the umbrella body for the loyalist paramilitary groups, is expected to meet before the weekend to discuss its reaction to the IRA bombing.

The Taoiseach, in his strongest condemnation yet of the Lisburn attack, said: "The strategy of the ballot box in one hand and a gun in the other was first originated by the Nazis."

With Government members readily accepting that the peace process is locked into two stalemates - the unionists' stance on decommissioning and the IRA's on a ceasefire - Mr Bruton told the Dail that he accepted the importance of the two governments continuing to act together to provide political leadership.

"Anything that this Government can do in conjunction with the British government will be done. We are continuing contact on a daily, and almost hourly, basis on the evolving situation," he said.

There was some loyalist support for Mr Bruton's stance. Mr Billy Hutchinson, a leading member of the Progressive Unionists Party, said that the remarks by the Taoiseach in the Dail showed that he was "not interested at this point in time in a pan nationalist front, which the loyalist people are fearful of".

The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said it appeared that the efforts of many people had been set at naught, but it was at times like this that political leaders should act. Calling for a summit between the Taoiseach band the British Prime Minister, Mr Major, he said that they should all try to keep the process alive. "It is not dead, although it is in trouble", he added. The PD leader, Ms Harney, renewed her call on the Government to sever all official contacts with Sinn Fein. She also appealed to loyalist paramilitaries to hold" their ceasefire and not cave in to the clear provocation of the IRA.

The three Coalition leaders, Mr Bruton, Mr Spring and Mr De Rossa, will contribute to the Dail debate today.