The Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP have become embroiled in a war of words over the retention of the north-south bodies – at a time when the Northern Ireland power-sharing assembly remains under suspension.

Ulster Unionists have been expressing their anger in recent days over legislation, approved in the Dáil last week, which secured the continued operation of the six North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) bodies. And, emerging from talks with the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen in Dublin last night, a UUP delegation restated its belief that the move was an attempt by the British and Irish governments to circumvent the suspension of the institutions.

After the hour-long meeting in Iveagh House, senior UUP negotiator Sir Reg Empey said: “Our meeting was robust. We had very straight exchanges about the NSMC, but the issue remains unresolved.”

The Ulster Unionist Party leader said today: "Sadly, it appears that the NIO and Dublin's Department of Foreign Affairs have reverted to type and returned to the bad old way of doing things, away from public view and without consulting the other partners to the Belfast Agreement."

The Irish government have moved to assuage unionist concerns, saying that the legislation was "purely temporary". Mr Cowen said that the legislation ensured the secure management of the bodies in the short term, but he added that, if suspension of the Stormont Assembly were permanent, the north-south arrangements would collapse.

Last night, the SDLP's Sean Farren described as "hypocrisy" the Ulster Unionist Party's opposition to the NSMC whilst arguing for ministerial advisers in Stormont to be maintained on a similar basis.

"Many will find it strange that the Ulster Unionists can justify getting this kind of care and maintenance on the adviser side and yet they opposed it in relation to the cross-border bodies. It is a clear case of double standards," he said.

"The Ulster Unionist seem to want to force the implementation bodies to be direct and immediate casualties of suspension."

Meanwhile, SDLP leader Mark Durkan has claimed that his former ministerial colleague David Trimble was fully aware that moves were afoot to keep the north-south bodies functioning.

Mr Durkan claimed that, at a meeting with the Secretary of State and Mr Trimble, it was established that the six bodies, which employ over 700 people, would continue operating.

Elsewhere, writing for a Belfast newspaper earlier this week, the DUP's Nigel Dodds said that the political judgment of the UUP was "completely and fundamentally wrong".

He added: "The decision of the British and Irish governments to allow functions of the North south Ministerial Council to continue with the suspended assembly is another huge slap in the face for David Trimble."

(AMcE)