Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness after initial talks with officials

Government Renews Appeal for IRA Ceasefire

"The settlement train is leaving. We want Sinn Fein on board, but it will leave anyway," said the Junior Northern Ireland Minister Lord Dubs.

The appeal in a Lords debate about re-convening the Northern Ireland Forum next month, comes a day after officials of the Northern Ireland Office had met Sinn Fein leaders.

"We want them (Sinn Fein) in the talks because that would open the way towards the widest possible agreement to a settlement. We have also made it crystal clear what must be done to secure their invitation," said Lord Dubs.

"There must be an unequivocal restoration of the IRA ceasefire, which is clearly reflected in deeds as well as words. But if that doesn't happen, we are fully determined to proceed without them."

The minister stressed that yesterday's meeting had not amounted to negotiation. "So that our position is clear to Sinn Fein and so that we can better assess their readiness to commit themselves to peaceful politics alone, officials yesterday met representatives of Sinn Fein," he insisted.

"We believe it was very important to the success of the political process, of which the talks and indeed the Forum are a part, to make absolutely clear the position of the Government on key areas of policy in Northern Ireland," he said.

Lord Dubs reiterated the Government's position that Northern Ireland would remain a part of the UK so long as that was the wish of the majority of its people. "Within that context, we are looking for a political settlement that is widely acceptable within the community," he added.

Peers approved an order to give the elected cross-party Forum a further year of life. The talks would resume on June 3 and 4 and the Forum was expected to resume discussions after that.

Lord Dubs pledged to "do all we can to get the talks over the hurdle of decommissioning and into the substantive issues."

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