AN ad-hoc plenary session of the multi party talks is scheduled for Monday under the chairmanship of former US senator, Mr George Mitchell.
The meeting was arranged following a series of bilateral meetings yesterday at which Mr Mitchell and Northern Political Development Minister, Mr Michael Ancram, instructed the other parties of the necessity to move from the tortuous wrangles over procedures to more substantive talks, according to a Northern Ireland Office source. "There was a knocking together of heads here at Stormont," the source said yesterday.
The three main unionist parties are set to attend what the DUP has called a "clear the air" meeting, although the SDLP is reserving its decision on the informal plenary.
Mr Seamus Mallon, the deputy leader of the SDLP, said the party must first know the agenda and purpose of the ad-hoc plenary before deciding whether it would be worthwhile to be involved.
Mr Ken Maginnis, security spokesman for the UUP, said "nine tenths" of the procedural issues had been resolved and he hoped the outstanding matters would be settled next week. Mr Nigel Dodds, the DUP secretary, said party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, had already suggested such a meeting to "clear the air and to allow the various parties to vent their feelings about recent disturbances.
Mr Dodds said his party was still firmly opposed to Mr Mitchell having an "over arching" role in the talks. Asked if a majority of the parties accepted Mr Mitchell as chairman would the DUP still attend the talks, he replied. "We would have to wait and see."
Mr Dodds said the timing of yesterday's Anglo Irish Conference meeting "together with Dublin's belligerent and hostile approach" could only exacerbate tension at a difficult time.
"Unionists will rightly be angry at the sight of the security chiefs in part of the United Kingdom being called to account by representatives of a foreign government which has no responsibility or jurisdiction here," he added.
