FORMER American presidential hopeful Gary Hart was due to arrive in the north last night as the US government played down reports that he was being lined-up as Washington's new special envoy.
The 77-year-old former Democrat senator, who was forced to withdraw from the presidential race in 1987 after being photographed with 29-year-old model Donna Rice on his lap, yesterday met the Republic's foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan in Dublin before heading north.
He plans to meet the five main Stormont parties during his visit as well as representatives from business, Church and community organisations.
Mr Hart's trip follows a similar visit to Ireland in June by US assistant secretary of state Victoria Nuland.
Whitehouse sources insist Mr Hart is travelling "in a personal capacity".
However, they confirmed that he will report to his friend US secretary of state John Kerry on returning to the States.
"Basically he's here to assess how the US can assist the parties in Northern Ireland in achieving a lasting peace," the source said.
The source was dismissive of reports in the Dublin media that suggested the former senator was earmarked as a new special envoy to Northern Ireland, a role left vacant since the departure of Declan Kelly in 2011.
"I think people are drawing the wrong conclusions from the visit, as there is no inevitability about him being appointed special envoy," the source said.
The former Colorado senator's visit comes a year after the commencement of the all-party talks on flags, parades and the past, chaired by Dr Richard Haass, who served as special envoy to the Bush administration from 2001-2003.
The talks ended without agreement on New Year's Eve after unionists refused to sign-up to the US diplomat's final proposals.
A revived talks process ended abruptly last month when the DUP and Ulster Unionists walked out in protest over the Parades Commission's determination on a July 12 Orange Order march past Ardoyne in north Belfast.
As Mr Hart arrived in Ireland, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams repeated his call for the Irish and British governments to "refocus their efforts to defend the political process in the north".
Noting how the involvement of the two governments and the White-house was crucial to securing an IRA ceasefire 20 years ago, the Louth TD said a similar level of engagement was required to deal with the outstanding issues of the peace process.
"I am calling on both governments to urgently refocus their efforts to defend the political process and en-sure the full implementation of the Good Friday and subsequent agreements," he said.
n RUMOUR: Gary Hart