NI envoy meets business leaders

Richard Haass (right) is holding series of talks

The US special envoy Richard Haass has urged business and community leaders to use their influence to encourage Northern Ireland politicians to stay on the course towards peace.

At a breakfast in a Belfast hotel on Wednesday, he told business leaders that now was "not a time for indifference".

He called for an end to all paramilitary behaviour and said he looked forward to the day when the most contentious issues in politics in Northern Ireland were ones related to health and education.

Ambassador Haass is continuing his talks with the political parties.

Gerry Adams said the meeting was constructive

After the breakfast speech, he went into talks with Sinn Fein delegates.

Afterwards, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams described the talks as "constructive".

"It is very clear from the stream of dialogue which has taken place that he is very focussed and understands clearly that tomorrow's talks are not going to be a single item agenda," he said.

"We again expressed our concern about the suspension of the political institutions by the British Government."

With Stormont into its fifth week of suspension, talks are continuing to try and restore devolution.

'IRA activity'

Ambassador Haass - who met the chief constable and the Ulster Unionist Party on Tuesday - also meting other parties on Wednesday, including the SDLP and the DUP.

Speaking after the meeting, Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey called on the American Government to use all its "power and influence to ensure that the republican movement lives up to its commitments under the Belfast Agreement".

It is the first time the ambassador has visited Northern Ireland since the political institutions were suspended on 14 October following the row over allegations of IRA activity, including spying in the Northern Ireland Office.

Bertie Ahern will meet Richard Haass

Round table talks involving the British and Irish Governments and Northern Ireland's political parties are set to take place at Stormont on Thursday.

Mr Haass held talks with Downing Street officials in London on Tuesday before travelling to Belfast.

On Wednesday afternoon he travelled to Dublin for meetings with Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen and Premier Bertie Ahern.

Speaking in the Irish Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Ahern said he did not expect a breakthrough in Thursday's talks, chaired by the two governments and involving the pro-Agreement parties.

He told Irish MPs he hoped there would be substantial progress before Christmas, adding that the end of February was the latest realistic date for final agreement.