NI political efforts continue

Republican sources said David Trimble's speech was helpful

Behind the scenes contacts are continuing between Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionists and British and Irish officials as efforts continue to broker a deal to restore devolution in Northern Ireland.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to visit Northern Ireland in the next few days - if the key players reach an agreement.

Speaking in County Kildare on Sunday, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said a deal to break the political deadlock was not guaranteed over the coming days.

He said intensive talks were continuing to try to reach an agreement, but a number of key issues still had to be resolved.

However, Mr Ahern welcomed what he called the direct and intensive engagement between the Ulster Unionist Party and Sinn Fein in recent weeks.

"We hope that this will be fruitful and that it will prove possible to turn a further decisive page in the long history of our island," said Mr Ahern.

Republican sources have told the BBC that UUP leader David Trimble's conference speech on Saturday was "a helpful attempt to create room for manoeuvre".

He told party delegates in Armagh that republicans had to demonstrate a commitment to ending paramilitarism for good.

However, he conceded that political progress in Northern Ireland could proceed without IRA decommissioning being completed immediately.

Decommissioning of weapons, an end to paramilitary violence and the winding up of paramilitary organisations had to take place, he insisted.

However, every "jot and tittle" did not need to be completed before proceeding with re-establishing the institutions, he said.

Policing and justice

Mr Trimble told the conference there could be no excuses for paramilitary violence such as "internal house-keeping" and that foot dragging on decommissioning and on commitments to peace and democracy could not be tolerated.

"Neither the government's formula nor ours say that everything must be done first. Rather both envisage a sense that paramilitarism is coming to an end soon," he told delegates.

Mr Blair will go to NI if key players reach an agreement

"And perhaps the most important aspect of that sense is an acknowledgement by republicans that the Belfast Agreement is a settlement - that it provides the full and final closure of the conflict."

He added: "The issue is simple. Republicans know what has to be done - it has been absolutely clear since April. They need to make up their mind. Society cannot be expected to wait for ever."

Earlier, Mr Trimble said policing and justice powers could be transferred to a new power-sharing executive within two years.

Speaking on the BBC's Politics Show, Sinn Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin said he hoped an election would be announced this week.

PUP leader David Ervine said he believed Mr Trimble and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams were close to a deal.

The devolved administration was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in the Stormont government.

Assembly elections were postponed in May but there is speculation over an autumn poll.

The pro-Agreement parties and Mr Blair have said that they want the election to be held in a positive atmosphere.