The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Northern Secretary reported progress in talks held at Iveagh House, Dublin, yesterday aimed at restoring devolution.
Mr Brian Cowen and Mr Paul Murphy are attempting to finalise a package of proposals which the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, can put to the Northern parties at talks planned for Hillsborough on March 3rd.
However, Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin has claimed the British government is holding back from implementing promised changes in policing, the criminal justice system and equality in Northern Ireland because of threats by Mr David Trimble to "walk away" from the peace process.
Speaking last night in Dundalk, the SDLP deputy leader, Mrs Bríd Rodgers, accused republicans of failing to deliver the "quid pro quo" of ending paramilitary activity in return for the early release of IRA prisoners.
She said republicans needed to restore unionist confidence and respond to their own community's desire to see all aspects of the agreement implemented.
In Dublin yesterday Mr McGuinness accused the British government of "kowtowing" to unionists and said the Blair administration had not put forward any plan "which would indicate to us that they are up for the full and faithful implementation of the Good Friday agreement". However, he said one could yet emerge in the coming days.
Mr McGuinness met Mr Cowen yesterday to discuss the changes the party wishes to see in the policing and criminal justice systems. Mr Cowen then met Mr Murphy in Dublin to discuss these issues. This was followed by talks at Iveagh House between Mr Gerry Kelly of Sinn Féin and senior Government officials on the details of possible changes in this area. Mr Ahern and Mr Blair will meet again in Downing Street next Thursday, before another intensive round of talks at Hillsborough on March 3rd.
Sinn Féin says the changes in relation to policing, criminal justice and other issues were promised in the Belfast Agreement, and must be among the "acts of completion" Mr Blair called for last October.
However, Mr McGuinness asserted that the UUP had refused to engage in discussions on these issues. "It appears to me that they don't want a deal at this time."
Asked about the "acts of completion" required from republicans on the disposal of weapons and the permanent ending of IRA activity, he said he wanted "to bring about a situation where there would be movement from everybody".
He said the issues Sinn Féin was seeking movement on were the creation of "a representative and accountable policing service, free from partisan political control; an acceptable criminal justice system; demilitarisation in south Armagh and other parts of Northern Ireland; and equality and human rights legislation. He said the British government had told him that they couldn't make the required changes in these areas because of UUP opposition.
"I'm fed up to the back teeth of talking to British government officials and British government ministers who tell me that the reason they can't implement hugely important aspects of the Good Friday agreement is that David Trimble will walk away from the process," he said. "If David Trimble wants to walk away from the process, let him walk away from the process but implement the agreement.
"The British government signed up for the Good Friday agreement, the British government have a responsibility to ensure the defence and the full implementation of that agreement. Now if David Trimble wants to walk away from it, if Jeffrey Donaldson wants to walk away, let them walk away. Let the world see that the obstruction is coming from those people who have refused to embrace equality and who have refused to embrace the type of change that the Good Friday agreement promised.
"The Good Friday agreement is the only show in town and whether or not we resolve it now, resolve it in six months' time or in six years' time, that's the template which all of them will have to come back to. Critical to this is the type of leadership being provided by the British prime minister. The kowtowing that has occurred between the British government and the unionists over the last five years has been detrimental to the process."