Blair and Ahern draw up peace plan

Prime ministers say the package is non-negotiable

The British and Irish Governments are to put a final package of proposals to the Northern Ireland parties in an attempt to salvage the political process.

The announcement was made after six days of talks at Weston Park on the Staffordshire-Shropshire border ended on Saturday without a breakthrough.

Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish premier Bertie Ahern said they would now draw up a "non-negotiable" package to put to all the pro-Agreement parties.

We don't contemplate failure. We want to contemplate success

Tony Blair

The parties will have a few weeks to garner their response. If no agreement is reached by 12 August, Mr Blair must decide whether to suspend the Northern Ireland Assembly or call fresh elections.

Asked what would happen if the contents of the package failed to secure the approval of all parties, Mr Blair said: "We don't contemplate failure. We want to contemplate success."

The two administrations said it would be "a tragedy" not to build on the achievements already made.

Mr Blair said: "We believe the time for negotiating is through, we are confident we can put through a package for parties to accept or not."

The package would cover all the areas that have been in dispute between the various parties, he said.

"We are not coming to you today and saying all this is done. It is not. But it can be done," he added.

Balance

Mr Ahern said he believed a balanced package could be achieved.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he looked forward to receiving the package.

"I hope they will bring forward a package which is able to deliver on the Good Friday Agreement and we will look at it in a constructive and positive manner," he said.

"The threat to this process doesn't come from the weapons of the IRA which are silenced."

The threat came from the plastic bullets that were still being used and from loyalist weapons, he said.

"Let's wait to see the package, to see if it provides a bridge towards full implementation."

SDLP leader John Hume said there would be considerable disappointment at the failure to find a way at implementing the Agreement.

Log-jam

"We in the SDLP welcome the announcement by both governments that they will soon present a package to the parties to break the current log-jam," he said.

He said he hoped this would "happen sooner, rather than later", and that the package would be endorsed by all of the parties.

SDLP deputy Seamus Mallon said all parties would have a good idea about the contents of the final package.

The current political crisis was brought about by the resignation of David Trimble as the Northern Ireland first minister on 1 July.

He has refused to continue sitting in government with republicans until the IRA begins to decommission its weapons.

Leaving Weston Park on Saturday, Mr Trimble repeated his insistence that decommissioning was the key to getting the peace process back on track.