IRA 'must end criminal activity'

Bertie Ahern called for "cool nerves" from the parties

The IRA must make a clear statement on ending illegal activity, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.

"We have to get absolute certainty and clarity that we're not just talking about paramilitary activity," he said.

"We're talking about robberies and fraud and petrol and drink (smuggling) and all the other things that are there, everybody knows what they are."

Calling on the parties to make a final push, he said the political process was within 10 hours of being resolved.

A "comprehensive agreement" between the DUP and Sinn Fein broke down last week over the issue of IRA weapons being put beyond use.

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Mr Ahern told RTE radio on Sunday it was a "very positive sign" that the IRA had been in fresh contact with the International Independent Decommissioning Commission since then.

He added: "Really it just requires a bit of cool nerves, a bit of straight negotiation on very few issues, a few chances to be taken - nobody likes the bits that are outstanding but if we all do it collectively, this can be finished."

The DUP has demanded that a photographic record is made of the IRA decommissioning its weapons.

Reverend Ken Newell says clerical witnesses could be increased

However, Sinn Fein said that the IRA would "not submit to a process of humiliation".

Efforts will continue to try to resolve the issue on Monday.

The Sinn Fein leadership will meet Mr Ahern in Dublin before flying to Downing Street for talks with Tony Blair.

DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said his party already knows who it wants to help oversee decommissioning.

"We have already appointed an independent witness from the Protestant community, and I understand there is a witness from the Roman Catholic community," he said.

"We haven't yet got agreement on what role the witnesses will play in the decommissioning process in verifying what has happened."

Meanwhile, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church has said that any arms move should be witnessed by four clergymen including someone "who has lost a loved one".

Reverend Ken Newell said photographs of decommissioning were desirable but not essential.

Mr Newell told BBC Radio Ulster's Sunday Sequence that more clerical witnesses could provide a solution to the political stalemate.

"From the unionist side anyhow, one of those clerical witnesses should be a minister who has lost a loved one," he said.

"(Someone) who is very concerned that this whole thing is done with credibility and will build confidence in the community.

"I think we have got to consider increasing the number of witnesses to four, and put in there someone who has been a victim of the Troubles that we have been through."

The British-Irish proposals said that decommissioning would be witnessed by two clergymen.

READ THE DOCUMENT Proposals by the British and Irish Governments for a comprehensive agreement (591KB) Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here

On Sunday, Mr Paisley insisted that he would not move from his demand for photographic evidence of decommissioning.

The DUP leader told Sunday Sequence that he would not compromise on the issue after "previous failed attempts".

"If we hadn't three charades of so-called decommissioning, we wouldn't have to be as strong on this matter," the North Antrim MP said.

"We must first of all have an independent observer and that independent observer must be free to do what he likes as far as having a notebook, as far having his own inventory, as far as saying what time so many arms were destroyed.

"He must be absolutely free but, of course, that has never been agreed by the IRA.

"Then he must be able to have photographs taken by the (disarmament) commission, not by the IRA, on every step taken for the destruction of those arms - photographs before they were destroyed, photographs when they are destroying and photographs of after they're destroyed."

The political institutions in Northern Ireland have been suspended since October 2002 amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering at the Northern Ireland Office.

The DUP and Sinn Fein became the largest unionist and nationalist parties after assembly elections in November 2003.

However, the two parties have never been able to reach a deal which would allow a power-sharing executive to be formed, and Northern Ireland continues to be governed by direct rule from Westminster.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish premier Bertie Ahern published joint government proposals for power-sharing in Belfast.