Sharp differences between the Taoiseach and the North's First Minister over police reform emerged again yesterday as Mr David Trimble described as a "smokescreen" concerns which the Taoiseach said he shared.
Mr Trimble used a joint press conference with Mr Ahern at Government Buildings yesterday to accuse Northern nationalists of using their objections to the Police Bill as a "smokescreen" to cover their failure to commit themselves fully to the peace process.
After a 90-minute meeting with the Taoiseach in Dublin yesterday, Mr Trimble called on nationalists to "engage more positively on the issues. . .instead of this present attitude of nit-picking and hanging back and using the difficulties as a smokescreen for their own failure to commit to the process".
The Taoiseach again stressed the Government demand for the full implementation of the Patten report, but Mr Trimble suggested the "technicalities" of the Bill were less important than the need for nationalist leaders to encourage and support members of their community wishing to join the police, no matter how the Bill ended up.
"It doesn't matter what the technicalities are," said Mr Trimble. "You can have all the provisions in the Bill you like with regard to recruitment and all the rest of it. It won't mean a thing unless people come forward to serve. And they won't be able to do that in sufficient numbers until the leaders of their community support them in so doing."
However Mr Ahern said the Government was "very well aware and conscious" of nationalist concerns about the future of policing. "The Government's position has always been the implementation of the Patten report."
The Government's case was also advanced "by the nationalist and republican community, by church and civic leaders". "There's no doubt about the fact that what we all hope to see coming out of this is an effective police service that is broadly supported throughout the community and is representative of the community as a whole. But, of course, there are difficulties."
Mr Trimble suggested Sinn Fein, in particular, was using its objections to the Bill as a smokescreen to hide "their inability or refusal to actually engage positively on the major issues".
In order for there to be a more representative police service in Northern Ireland, a positive approach from Sinn Fein and from other representatives of nationalist opinion was needed.
During yesterday's meeting the Taoiseach and the First Minister, with Attorney-General, Mr Michael McDowell and UUP deputy leader Mr John Taylor, also discussed the activities of republican dissidents and the development of North/South co-operation. Mr Trimble said he welcomed news of the interception of a gun-running operation in Croatia.
Earlier yesterday, speaking on BBC's News 24, Mr Trimble admitted he had "worries" about the peace process. "I think it is perfectly reasonable to have worries. . .I would have, too. I do not know for certain that it is all going to work in the way that we want it to."