Mowlam to consider UDP's position next week

The Northern Secretary will begin an assessment late next week as to whether the Ulster Democratic Party should be allowed to rejoin the Northern talks.

Following a meeting with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in Government Buildings yesterday morning, Dr Mowlam indicated that she was keen "not to leave it very long because I think inclusivity is important".

The leader of the UDP, Mr Gary McMichael, welcomed Dr Mowlam's comments. He said his party would meet the Northern Ireland political development Minister, Mr Paul Murphy, next Thursday to discuss the possibility of re-entering the negotiations. "I recognise the introduction of the Minister of State to our discussion as an indication that the government is taking the matter of the UDP's re-entry to the talks seriously," Mr McMichael said.

Dr Mowlam confirmed that the British government was pulling the options for the future together in one document.

Mr Ahern suggested that now was not the time to move the talks away from Ireland. "There's a time for doing that, and we're not just at that time now," he said.

He also said he had had a "useful discussion" with Dr Mowlam about what had been happening in the talks since they met a fortnight ago. They believed that progress had been very useful in all the strands. They also discussed preparations for the next few weeks, particularly organising the Dublin talks for February 16th.

The Northern Secretary also had private meetings with the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, the Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, and the British-Irish Parliamentary Body in Leinster House.

She will meet the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, this morning.