The Belfast Agreement could be brought down over Dublin involvement in a proposed monitoring body, the former deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has said.
Writing in yesterday's London Times, Lord Kilclooney, the former Strangford MP Mr John Taylor, warned that what he called a "new policy by Her Majesty's Government" could undermine any unionist support for the accord.
He wrote that "a proposal that the Dublin Government should nominate a representative to a new body to supervise the Northern Ireland Assembly" will probably not win his support nor that of ordinary unionists. The proposed four-member International Monitoring Body (IMB), which could begin work in shadow form later this month, is central to British and Irish efforts to restart the political process in Belfast.
Its work is linked to an earlier proposal which enjoys unionist support, namely that a body be established to monitor the viability of paramilitary ceasefires.
However the IMB would have a wider role, including that of consideration of claims that Assembly parties were in breach of their obligations under the Belfast Agreement.
Lord Kilclooney, once UUP deputy leader under Mr David Trimble, alleges this is in breach of the Belfast Agreement. His arguments are in tune with Mr Jeffrey Donaldson's claims that the participation of an Irish Government nominee in any monitoring role of the Stormont Assembly represents a fundamental breach of unionist principles.
Unionist insiders remain wary of the complaints against the proposal levelled by Mr Donaldson. He, along with two other UUP MPs, has resigned the party whip at Westminster to fight any such measure and is facing disciplinary procedures for his actions.
One unionist source suggested to The Irish Times that having an Irish representative on the IMB was better than not having devolution at all. The argument runs that restoration of the Stormont institutions is preferable to direct rule which many unionists believe is Dublin influenced.
However, unionists are opposed to any involvement by the Irish authorities in such a body. Lord Kilclooney believes that as most Ulster Unionists were likely to reject the proposal, the Belfast Agreement would come to an end.
Hopes that draft legislation to set up the IMB would be introduced before the Westminster recess next Thursday have not been realised. This means autumn is the earliest time at which the legislation can be introduced, with a view to giving the commission full powers.
The Northern Ireland Office insists that the government is still working on the draft legislation.