THE Taoiseach would say little yesterday about Saturday's meeting between officials and Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Pat Doherty of Sinn Fein. The meeting, he said, was "useful", but was not the start of a series of routine contacts. He declined to express degrees of optimism or pessimism about a ceasefire.
The officials are understood to have received no clear signal on Saturday that a ceasefire is imminent. There was discussion of what would happen after a ceasefire, whether there would be a direct route for Sinn Fein into political talks, or whether they would once again get caught up in protracted discussions on weapons decommissioning. No further meeting is planned, nor is one ruled out.
The Government is understood to be determined not to be drawn into a series of meetings with Sinn Fein to discuss what one source described as the "what ifs" of a ceasefire. "We've been there before, talking about formulas of words and hypothetical situations," says one senior source.
He pointed to a section of Mr Tony Blair's speech last Friday with which, he said, the Government was in agreement. "This is not about negotiating the terms of a ceasefire," said Mr Blair. "We simply want to explain our position and to assess whether the republican movement genuinely is ready to give up violence and commit itself to politics alone. If they are, I will not be slow in response. If they are not, they can expect no sympathy or understanding. I will be implacable in pursuit of terrorism.
The Government, according to the source, has a similar view. It is not negotiating with Sinn Fein, but seeking to establish the likelihood of a ceasefire in the new political circumstances.
The Taoiseach's decision to authorise Saturday's meeting was a response to the new atmosphere created by the new British Labour government, according to Government sources. The sources say that the meeting was authorised last week - before Mr Blair announced in Belfast on Friday that he would authorise a meeting between British officials and Sinn Fein.
When Mr Bruton met Mr Blair on May 8th, he told him the Government had a channel of communication with Sinn Fein and was considering reactivating it, the sources say.
Early last week the Government received a request from Sinn Fein for a meeting with officials. According to the sources, the Taoiseach gave the authorisation last Tuesday or Wednesday for a meeting to take place.
The sources therefore reject Fianna Fail's accusation over the weekend that they had been forced into authorising a meeting after Mr Blair had done so. They insist the Government decision was made in advance of Mr Blair's speech in Belfast, and that while Fianna Fail was criticising the Taoiseach late last week over not authorising such a meeting, one had already been authorised.
Government sources also reject suggestions that the holding of the meeting between Government officials and Mr Adams and Mr Doherty on Saturday represents a shift in policy. The Government view, as outlined on Friday by the Taoiseach, is that there will be no "routine meetings" between officials and Sinn Fein. "A meeting may be organised with officials to discuss matters that might lead to an imminent ceasefire," he added.
Saturday's meeting fits into that category, according to the sources. "Circumstances have changed, there is a new British government and a new atmosphere, and there are possibilities worth exploring. This is not the start of a series of meetings. It was a meeting to explore the possibilities which exist for an immediate ceasefire."