Assembly politicians bow to the inevitable

Northern Ireland's power-sharing Executive slipped quietly and undramatically into indefinite suspension at midnight last night when the British Government bowed to the inevitable and put devolution on hold.

The move had been signalled so thoroughly that the overall mood was one of resignation rather than a crisis, but all sides acknowledge that putting a new administration together will be a tough task. If it can be done, it will take months rather than weeks. The sense is that a period of relatively low-level activity may now be helpful, if only to allow jangled political nerves to calm down.

Tony Blair and the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, were anxious to convey yesterday that they are committed to the Good Friday Agreement, much of which remains even after yesterday's suspension.

A joint statement from the two premiers laid emphasis on the need for republicans to propose confidence-building measures designed to build trust among Unionists.

It declared: "It must be clear that the transition from violence to exclusively peaceful and democratic means ... is being brought to an unambiguous and definitive conclusion. It is essential that the concerns around the commitment to exclusively democratic and non-violent means are removed."

Mr Ahern said: "The reality is that trust is gone. So what we have to do now is try to re-establish that trust."

Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, said Unionists such as David Trimble,the outgoing First Minister, had "raised the bar too high" in demanding the immediate disbandment of the IRA.

"I cannot understand why thinking Unionists can hope to fulfil what they want by bringing down these institutions," he said. He accused John Reid, the Northern Ireland Secretary, who announced the suspension, of dishonesty and of moving to accommodate Unionists.

Two additional junior ministers will be added to Mr Reid's team to help to assume the duties of the Executive. Members will lose their ministerial salaries, while the pay of Assembly members will fall from £41,000 annually to £29,000. This arrangement will be reviewed by the end of the year.

¿ A woman arrested in connection with allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering was freed on bail yesterday when a court was told that a laptop computer found at her home did not bear her fingerprints. Fiona Farrelly, 46, was one of four people charged after police raids on homes in the city and Sinn Fein's Stormont offices on 4 October.