THE REINSTATEMENT of the IRA ceasefire is still in doubt and, according to senior republican sources, is not thought likely to occur before the end of the prolixity talks on March 13th.
An IRA statement issued yesterday in the aftermath of Wednesday's two hour meeting between the IRA leadership and Mr Gerry Adams and Mr John Hume made no reference to the Anglo Irish communique or to the prospects for a new ceasefire. Instead, it referred to "the failure thus far of the Irish peace process", but stated, in what observers interpreted as a hopeful sign, that the IRA was "prepared to face up to our responsibilities, and others need to do likewise".
Responding to this statement, the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, said that the two governments had faced up to their responsibilities by setting the date for all party talks.
The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, questioned about unconfirmed reports that Mr Adams had asked the IRA to restore its ceasefire, replied "If that is the case, I welcome it. I believe it is an appropriate thing for him to do and obviously it is important that the IRA does as he suggests. It is important that Sinn Fein be represented at the all party talks."
The British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, last night described the IRA statement as a "pathetic response to the hopes and dreams of the people of Northern Ireland. "The IRA must decide to behave properly and get into democracy, or democracy will go on without them," he said.
Senior republican sources said last night the IRA would take some time to reassess its position in the context of the communique, which set June 10th as the date for all party negotiations. It is understood the IRA will not reinstitute its ceasefire in order to remove the ban on ministerial contacts with Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein's ardchomhairle is due to meet within the next few days to study the communique. It is now expected to decide to send a delegation to the proximity talks, but will only meet British and Irish government officials, not ministers, while the ban remains in place.
Asked yesterday if he anticipated a ceasefire decision from the IRA soon, Mr Adams replied "I genuinely don't know. We are in a very fluid situation." However, despite indications that the IRA is not inclined towards a quick decision, there is optimism in republican circles that the ceasefire will be restored. Members of the IRA leadership told Mr Adams and Mr Hume at Wednesday's meeting that they were "not dogmatic about the use of armed struggle" and at least one person present expressed the hope that "the situation in which he had spent half his life would come to an end".
Mr Adams declined to say if he had urged the IRA to re establish its cessation of violence. But he did say that, while the IRA was not pinned to the principle of an armed campaign "they acknowledged the need to remove the war" the leadership had reiterated to him and to Mr Hume that it wanted a "full and proper solution and were committed to ending British rule".
"They cited the need for everyone to face up to their responsibilities and one said that, though the cessation had ended, they would embrace an inclusive, unconditional negotiated settlement," he added.
The IRA leadership, which had not seen the text of the communique when it met Mr Adams and Mr Hume, criticised Mr Bruton for "allowing the entire process to take off on a tangent for months because he ran with the issue of decommissioning", according to Mr Adams.
Meanwhile, a number of letters published in this week's edition of the Sinn Fein newspaper, An Phoblacht/Republican News, are critical of the IRA's return to bombing.
One letter, from a former journalist on the paper, suggested that the main political victim of the Canary Wharf bombing had been the republican movement itself. The bombing had disabled the Sinn Fein leadership and reinforced partition, he maintained.