THE Taoiseach has urged the British government to make it clear to unionists that they should enter talks with all nationalist parties in Northern Ireland.
Amid evidence of further deterioration in relations between the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, and the Government, Mr Bruton said that those who believed that an elective process could play a useful role should demonstrate that an election "would indeed be useful in facilitating immediate negotiations, rather than representing a further hurdle".
In advance of today's resumed Anglo Irish Inter Governmental Conference (IGC) meeting in Dublin between the Tanaiste and the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, the Taoiseach described comments by the UUP's deputy leader about Mr Spring as "not only unhelpful - they are untrue".
On Sunday Mr John Taylor said Mr Spring was the most detested politician in Northern Ireland and was seen as "a mouthpiece for Sinn Fein".
Government sources expect Sir Patrick to be in a position to respond to certain proposals put to him about the current situation at today's IGC meeting.
It is understood that the proposals, largely in the form of questions, concern the British response to the Mitchell report, an elective process and all party negotiations, and the links between all three in the twin track process.
In the Dail yesterday the Taoiseach said there was a very clear challenge at this stage to the unionist community and its political leaders to engage in serious discussion with "the neighbours with whom they have shared Northern Ireland for generations.
Anybody advocating an elective process should be able to give an absolutely unambiguous answer as to whether such a process was a way around the "Washington 3" test. Such answers had not yet been forthcoming, he said.
The Tanaiste yesterday reiterated that the Government will have to be involved in negotiations, despite Mr Trimble's repeated insistence that he will not discuss "internal matters" relating to Northern Ireland with Mr Spring.
Asked last night if Mr Major could "persuade" the UUP to the negotiating table, Mr Spring replied that, Irrespective of whether he had the ability to convince them, or wanted to, would have to take place "within the three stranded process. That, of course, involves the Irish Government and it is essential that those talks take place sooner rather than later".
Meanwhile, Mr Trimble responded yesterday to criticism of his failure so far to meet Mr Spring as requested. He said he had indicated a willingness to meet Mr Spring towards the end of this month in London.
In a blunt interview on RTE yesterday, the UUP leader said he was quite right to be cautious' about talks with Mr Spring.
"There is a very important constitutional principle at stake, namely that we are not going to get involved in negotiations with the Irish Government, which to us is a foreign government, with regard to the internal affairs of Northern Ireland," Mr Trimble said.
He claimed that Mr Spring was aware of that position and had acknowledged it in a recent letter.
Government leaders held meetings in the political track with representatives of Sinn Fein and the Progressive Unionist Party in Dublin yesterday.
Following more than an hour of talks with the Sinn Fein leadership at Government Buildings, Mr Spring said it remained the firm aim of the governments to hold all party talks by the end of the month.
He hoped he would not become embroiled in "a vicious circle" with the UUP leadership, adding that the Government was open to talks "at any time or any place".
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said Mr Trimble had "no incentive" to move the process forward while the British government maintained a negative stance. The onus was now on Mr Major, and he had to honour the commitment he gave to the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, to hold talks by the end of February.
Asked if he had "warmed at all" to the idea of elections, Mr Adams said elections in the North were in no way related to democracy. Sinn Fein was maintaining there should be no preconditions to talks.
