Negotiations with IRA denied

The Prime Minister's office yesterday denied it was being drawn into negotiating with the IRA over its response to questions put by Sinn Fein on the Downing Street Declaration.

'We are not in the business of clarification. We are not in the business of negotiation or getting into talks with Sinn Fein until the IRA have renounced violence,' a No 10 source said.

The Government is expected to publish tomorrow its response to the questions put to Downing Street through the Irish government by Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein.