There might be a tendency in some quarters to get a little panicky at the latest news out of Ireland. That would be a mistake. Mr Ray Seitz, the impressive career diplomat who was American ambassador to London until 1994, believes that figures in the White House leaked British secrets to the IRA. His views of his fellow ambassador in Dublin, that scion of the unsteady Kennedy clan, Jean Kennedy Smith, are barely printable but say a good deal about her affection for the IRA and the idiocy of her views generally. Then there is

the gloomy reception given to the joint London-Dublin peace proposals by representatives of Sinn Fein, with Mr Martin McGuinness muttering darkly about the playing of ''the Orange card'' and claiming that Sinn Fein will stay in the talks but will refuse to negotiate on the basis of the new proposals from the two governments.

Taken in isolation, both of these developments are worrying, but, in context, they begin to look

a little different. There is not much doubt that Ambassador Seitz is correct in his description of the careless ways of some White House aides with confidential information on Northern Ireland. It was relatively common knowledge that certain of President Clinton's staff and advisers looked fondly on Sinn Fein and tried to demonstrate their affection, but this tendency was understood in Britain. At least two Clinton aides who were looked upon as leaning towards Sinn Fein were invited to London and exposed to sufficient facts to ensure that their subsequent behaviour was a good deal more even-handed. Ambassador Seitz believes that the most sensitive pieces of intelligence were not passed on to Washington because of the situation and he is probably correct. Jean Kennedy Smith is tolerated because her brother is Senator Edward Kennedy and important to President Clinton. Her own opinions and advice

are virtually worthless and are recognised as such; any concern should be reserved for American career diplomats who have come to regard Dublin as a posting akin to a cross between Lagos and Tirana.

Sinn Fein's attitude to the latest peace proposals is more serious but is not insurmountable. Mr Trimble of the Ulster Unionists welcomed them while handily forgetting his party's rejection of most of the proposals in their earlier form. With Mr Trimble so manifestly content (for internal Ulster Unionist reasons) it was impossible for Sinn Fein to do other than grumble. Republicans are genuinely worried at what they see as a watering down of the earlier proposals. But two things are clear. Unionists and Republicans will both have to compromise and both understand this well. Secondly, the agenda is now firm and both sides cannot have any doubts about the determination of London and Dublin to push ahead. Sinn Fein and the Unionists have no alternative but to stay and talk, preferably to each other. There is nowhere else to go.