The possibility of a political breakthrough in Northern Ireland by next Tuesday was being talked up last night after the Rev Ian Paisley told the IRA it was "now or never" for it to be rid of its weapons.
The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party was on tantalising form after talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, at Downing Street yesterday, insisting the issue of IRA decommissioning had not yet been resolved to his satisfaction, while signalling he would like to go down in history as "a man of peace".
Senior DUP sources later cited Dr Paisley's remarks in support of their belief that a deal could be concluded with Sinn Féin next Tuesday, which would permit the restoration of power-sharing government at Stormont by next March.
Although there is no possibility of a DUP split resulting from Dr Paisley's final verdict on the British-Irish proposals, conflicting briefings over the past 48 hours have again confirmed tensions in the upper echelons of the party between those eager to conclude a deal now and those who think it should at least be delayed until after the British general election expected next year.
Dr Paisley is expected to give Mr Blair his final decision at a meeting at a still-undisclosed venue on Friday. Speculation about tentative plans for a major political announcement in Northern Ireland, probably at Hillsborough Castle, next week rose after the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said Friday did not mark the final deadline for agreement.
However, Dr Paisley's personal caution over the transparency of future IRA decommissioning was matched by Mr Ahern's admitted concern over two potentially difficult issues still to be resolved.
As the Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, concluded his latest meeting with the Taoiseach in Dublin and prepared for more talks with Mr Blair in London this afternoon, senior republican sources confirmed that at least three key issues had yet to be agreed: these are the DUP demand for a pictorial record of IRA decommissioning; changes to the rules for electing the co-equal First and Deputy First Ministers in the Assembly; and the timetable for the devolution of policing and justice powers.
Following the meeting between the SDLP leader, Mr Mark Durkan, and Mr Blair yesterday, senior party sources endorsed the DUP view that Sinn Féin could at best hope for an "indicative timetable" for devolution since it could only take effect following a request from the Assembly carried by a cross-community vote.
Sinn Féin wants Mr Blair and Mr Ahern to underwrite a commitment that policing and justice powers will be devolved by early 2006, while DUP sources say they do not envisage this happening in the lifetime of the present Assembly.