Bush envoy to visit N. Ireland

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- A special envoy for U.S. President George Bush is to visit Northern Ireland for talks on the ailing peace process.

With the Assembly and power sharing executive facing possible collapse, there are plans for a series of meetings between unionist and nationalist parties and the White House adviser Richard Haass.

Haass, who last visited Northern Ireland in June, will meet the Ulster Secretary John Reid in London on Monday before travelling to Northern Ireland, the UK Press Association reports.

Since Haass last visited on June 21 as President Bush's envoy, there have been several setbacks in the peace process.

The British and Irish governments' blueprint for the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement has yet to receive the full endorsement of the Northern Ireland parties.

The document, unveiled last month, contains commitments on decommissioning, police reform, demilitarisation, criminal justice reform and the operation of the political institutions.

The IRA agreed with the international commission on disarmament an acceptable means of putting its weapons beyond use.

However, that offer was withdrawn when unionists insisted there had to be a start to actual disarmament and the government suspended the Assembly and power sharing executive for one day to avoid the collapse of the power sharing government.

The peace process has also been reeling from the arrests of three suspected IRA members in Colombia who have been accused of training the left-wing FARC militia and of travelling on false passports.