The potentially problematic issue of devolving police and justice powers to Northern Ireland will dominate a meeting between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Gordon Brown in Manchester next weekend.
The meeting, the third to take place between the two leaders since Mr Brown became prime minister last summer, will concentrate on political developments in the North and progress that has been made in the past year.
A key element of the St Andrew's agreement was that policing and justice powers would be fully devolved to the North within two years of the Executive being formed. The Executive was formed on May 8th last year which means that full devolution of those powers must take place by May 2009. Both leaders are anxious that early progress be made on an issue that has the potential to undermine the substantial progress that has been made in the past year.
The weekend meeting will take place two days after a North-South ministerial meeting in Dundalk on Thursday.
This will be attended by Mr Ahern and also by the North's First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
The Taoiseach and prime minister are travelling to Manchester to attend the official commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air crash, in which seven Manchester United football players (including Dubliner Liam Whelan) were among 21 people killed. The events will include a premiership game at Old Trafford, the local derby between Manchester Utd and Manchester City.
