THE Taoiseach declined to rule out a new initiative on Northern Ireland before the British and Irish general elections.

Mr Bruton was replying to the PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, who asked if she could take it that there would be no new initiative until after the elections. "Not necessarily," replied Mr Bruton.

Asked by Ms Harney what work was being done behind the scenes, Mr Bruton said the consultation period arising from the North report on parades was proceeding currently. He had made it clear at the time of the publication of the report that the eight-week period was too long. "I would say, however, that local agreement is preferable to any outside intervention of any kind."

The Fianna Fail deputy leader, Ms Mary O'Rourke, said her party did not believe it was a good idea to abandon the talks, and it would be very difficult to see how there could be substantial progress in such a lacuna.

Mr Bruton said that, realistically, the parties participating in the talks all had an eye on the upcoming British general election, and were unwilling to make compromises with one another, lest they might be misconstrued or misrepresented by rivals within their own community.

"Therefore, I think it was a prudent decision to have a break in the talks, rather than a period when the talks would be used for electioneering rather than negotiating purposes."

He added that continuing with the talks might have led to a degree of megaphone diplomacy in what was designed to be a confidential negotiation. Once the election was over in the North, it would be a different situation.

Replying to Mr Dermot Ahern (FF, Louth), the Taoiseach said he, thought serious efforts had been made by most of the participants to overcome the very, very difficult issue of decommissioning. "It do not think anybody should pretend that this is a simple issue in view of the very radically different perspectives of the different sides on this question."

He said he hoped that once the election in the North was over, and the participants were freed from the constraint that that anticipated event imposed upon them, it would be possible to reach an agreement on the issue so that they could proceed to substantive negotiations in the three strands.

Asked by Mr Ahern about reported changes in the Department of Foreign Affairs relating to Anglo-Irish affairs, Mr Bruton said that the officials in that Department acted in accordance with Government policy and in a very dedicated way and with a high degree of integrity.