THE Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, was informed by the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, that it was not his intention to respond to the report of the International Body on Decommissioning in the House of Commons last week.
In another reference to the 35 minute telephone conversation between the two leaders to coordinate their responses to the report's findings, Mr Bruton told the Dail it was agreed that, in each case, the debates would be taken by the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, and the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew.
"The British decided to change the process on their side", Mr Bruton said.
Government sources indicated that members of the Anglo Irish liaison group had held "useful and intensive discussions" in Dublin yesterday on the manner and substance of Mr Major's proposal for an election in the North as a new precondition for entry to all party talks. These discussions will form part of the agenda for tomorrow's meeting in London between Mr Spring and Sir Patrick.
The Taoiseach, meanwhile, will face an hour long series of questions from opposition leaders today on the British response to the Mitchell report, including the details of his telephone conversation with Mr Major.
When the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Ahern, put it to the Taoiseach that Mr Major "not only misled the Irish Government on many other matters, but he misled it on who was to speak in the House of Commons", Mr Bruton responded that he was not saying anything of the kind.
"What I said is that I was told by the prime minister that that was the intention. He is perfectly entitled to change his arrangements as to who speaks on behalf of his government in his House of Parliament, but that does not require me to change the arrangements I am making in regard to debates here."
When Mr Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he had initiated a Garda inquiry into the leaking of the Mitchell report to the Irish Independent last week, Mr Bruton replied "The assumption the deputy is making is that this particular item was disclosed in this jurisdiction is not necessarily correct. In fact, I believe it is not correct.
