The British government should return the power of internment to the statute books and bring in legislation on security measures similar to that proposed by the Irish Government, the First Minister of the Northern Assembly said last night.
Mr David Trimble was speaking after a 90-minute meeting with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at Government Buildings in Dublin on the security measures proposed after the Cabinet meeting earlier yesterday.
Mr Trimble, on his first visit to Dublin as First Minister, was accompanied by Mr Ken Maginnis, Mr Reg Empey, Mr Derek Hussey and others. They arrived at 7.30 p.m. and met Mr Ahern and the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue.
After the meeting, Mr Ahern said the discussions had been friendly and frank on the Government's reaction after the terrible tragedy in Omagh.
Mr Ahern had given Mr Trimble details of Government proposals to amend the legis lation and told him that it intended to recall the Dail and Seanad in two weeks.
"The UK Parliament will also be reflecting on what we're doing," he said.
They had also discussed the need for the close co-operation of the Garda and RUC in every way.
The RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, and the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, would be bringing forward their own proposals on operational matters within 10 days.
Mr Trimble said they were in the midst of the recent awful atrocity and in the midst of the trauma. The effects of the funerals and burials of loved ones were being felt in the whole community. They were now looking to see how the unique basis of the agreement could be used to bring about the new measures.
Measures were needed but they had to be brought forward quickly and effectively. They could not merely be symbolic.
He welcomed the fact that the Taoiseach was recalling the Dail and that was a very positive step, he said.
"I very much hope that a similar step will be taken in the UK as I think that the measures should be paralleled," Mr Trimble stated.
"Some measures are indeed draconian but I think the government in the UK should grasp the nettle," he said.
"Also, it was a mistake in the UK when the reserve power to intern was removed from the statute books."
He was concerned there could be a loss of confidence and that a unique opportunity for progress in the agreement would be lost.
Mr Trimble said he had spoken to Mr Blair and now Mr Ahern. They were the people who had the power to change things.
"The important thing is the objective of ensuring that we take these people off the streets and hope this will be effective. Whether it will be depends on a number of factors.
"If it is a failure, there will be a need to look at other things," he said. "What is at risk is political progress we have crafted."
Those responsible for Omagh and other recent bombings wanted to destroy the agreement.
"As the Dail is being recalled, then I think there is a strong case for parallel action in the UK," Mr Trimble said.
Primary legislation was required if parallel measures were to be brought in and this could only be brought about by Parliament. He hoped this would be brought in as urgently as it was by the Irish Government.
"One criticism in the spring and summer was that we advised the [British] government that they were far too optimistic in removing the reserve power to intern and now the government could be somewhat embarrassed that they will now have to have it repealed," Mr Trimble stated.
The Taoiseach said it seemed the IRSP and INLA were at last engaged in active discussion. It was not entirely open to them what was happening inside the 32-County Sovereignty Movement and its relationship with the `Real IRA'. There was no word on Republican Sinn Fein and its relationship with the Continuity IRA.
It was absolutely important that all these groups declared an unambiguous rejection of all types of violence, the Taoiseach said.
He did not know the names of any of the suspects. Garda surveillance for months had thwarted many efforts to take violent action.
The Taoiseach said the talks with Mr Trimble had been friendly and frank and in the same terms as all their other meetings over the last period.