DUP upbeat on power sharing

Wednesday, 24 November 2004 12:00 AM

The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Dr Rev Ian Paisley meets with the Prime Minister and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today for talks aimed at reviving power sharing at Stormont.

Dr Paisley's negotiating team is to hold separate talks with the two leaders in London and is expected to explain its stance on the recent effort by Tony Blair and Mr Ahern to engineer a lasting solution in Northern Ireland.

The new Anglo-Irish plan aims to overcome some of sticking points which came to light after September's talks at Leeds Castle in Kent.

The DUP and Sinn Fein led separate delegations to meet Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy on Tuesday to discuss the future of the Royal Irish Regiment's home battalion

Speaking after the talks, Dr Paisley admitted progress had been made beyond his expectations.

"I admit that. But that is nothing to lie back on," he said.

"If Northern Ireland is going to get a fair deal, and it has not got a fair deal so far, it'll get a fair deal now. If we miss this opportunity we'll never get this back again."

A letter will be handed over to the Prime Minister at Downing Street outlining "outstanding concerns" on the new peace deal.

But it remains to be seen whether the DUP will accept the IRA's offer to allow senior Protestant and Catholic religious leaders to witness the decommissioning of arms.

The DUP may press for photographic or video proof instead.

Sinn Fein said it would be assessing the sentiment coming out of the talks for signs the DUP - the province's largest party - was willing to eventually share power.

The Ulster Unionists and the SDLP are also due to visit the Prime Minister and Irish counterpart.

Devolution in Northern Ireland was suspended two years ago amid allegations of an IRA spy-ring at Stormont.

Separately, Sinn Fein is pressing for both the British and Irish governments to improve the so-called "peace dividend" if devolved government goes ahead.

Both Sinn Fein and DUP are supporting the promised one billion pounds investment Sinn Fein said it would be asking the Irish government to assist in paying for the running costs of the province as well as the new Assembly and Executive.

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