THE Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, has suggested, for the first time, that it might be desirable to seek agreement on "an indicative time frame" to give momentum to the all party negotiations.
In a major speech on Northern policy in advance of the start of negotiations next month, Mr Bruton has also categorically stated that "there is no question of the Government I lead conforming to or acquiescing in any unionist agenda of domination".
Last night the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said he welcomed "the more conciliatory tone" of the Taoiseach's speech, and saw it, among other things, as a constructive response to the legitimate criticism from him in his Arbour Hill speech.
"For one of the first times since the IRA ceasefire broke down the Taoiseach is making a reasoned appeal to the republican movement rather than hectoring them and they should give it careful consideration as we all try to rebuild the peace process," he added.
Earlier, Mr Bruton told the Dail that legislation on the decommissioning of arms was at an advanced stage, but discussions were taking place with the British government on whether it would be introduced here before June 10th.
He offered a detailed briefing to the Ulster Unionist Party and any other party on the work being done so that they would be assured that the matter was being dealt with seriously.
Explaining that decommissioning legislation had to be set out in statute form in the Republic because of the written Constitution Mr Bruton said he had told the unionists when he met them recently that "there would be no block to the negotiations arising from any absence of legislation in our jurisdiction
In what was billed as a landmark address to the republican movement last night "to put to them why the ceasefire must be restored", the Taoiseach set out some of the key elements in the Government's approach to the talks and appealed for a constructive and creative spirit on all sides as they entered the negotiations, now less than six weeks away.
Outlining "some of the major headlines for the issues that the Government believes must be dealt with", Mr Bruton said that the arrangements for the negotiations would ensure that there could not be any narrow focus on an internal settlement in the talks.
There was no requirement, under the ground rules, for the negotiators to report to the forum or to verify or validate any contingent agreements with the forum. The negotiators were left completely independent and in charge of the process.
They wanted to ensure, he said, that irrevocable momentum would be built up and sustained in the negotiations, so that they could develop a positive internal dynamic of their own towards agreement and lasting peace, as had happened in South Africa.
"In that context, it may be desirable to seek agreement on an indicative time frame, without seeking unduly to pressurise any participant, so as to help ensure that momentum and dynamic," he said.
The Government was concerned to ensure that an exclusive focus on decommissioning did not prevent parallel progress on other issues and block progress towards the overriding goal of a widely accepted political agreement that would bring an end to the era of politically motivated violence.
He believed that the Tanaiste's proposal that arms decommissioning should become a parallel stream of the three strand negotiations could help to meet these imperatives.
Rejecting any unionist agenda of domination, Mr Bruton said that the aim of the Government would be to ensure that all concerns and interests of nationalists were fully addressed and met, within an equitable and balanced accommodation between the two major traditions.
The Government would spare no effort, he continued, to ensure that the approach of all the participants and, of course, of the British government was fully up to the challenge.
