The Irish and British governments are involved in secret talks with dissident republicans, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness claimed today.
Despite the recent denial from Secretary of State Owen Paterson that talks with the armed groups opposed to the peace process were an option, Mr McGuinness claimed in an interview today that discussions had taken place within recent weeks.
Mr McGuinness, who said he was personally involved in talks with London as far back as Margaret Thatcher's term in office, claimed the Irish Government was also in discussion with dissident groups.
"I encourage dialogue, I think it it important," he told BBC Radio Ulster.
"I do understand the governments will come out and say that this isn't true, it isn't happening, and they have all sorts of mechanisms and phrases to use which cover themselves, but the reality is that some of these dissident groups, I know for a fact, have been involved in discussions with both the Irish and the British government in recent times."
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin insisted officials were not involved in such negotiations. "We are not talking to dissident republicans," he said.
The British government repeated its stated position that there would be no talks. "You cannot have meaningful talks with people who are not committed to peaceful means of pursuing their goals," a spokesman said.
Last week, Mr Paterson ruled out talks with dissidents, insisting that the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA would not be allowed to disrupt the political process. He said there will be no moves by the British government to start a negotiating process in a bid to persuade the dissidents to end the attacks.
"You cannot have any meaningful talks with people who are not committed to peaceful means. They are not listening. They are disparate," he told BBC Radio Ulster. "They are a very small armed group with no discipline or clear focus on where they are going."
Political representatives of the dissident groups have already rejected an invitation to talks by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
PA