THE initiative by the British and Irish governments on decommissioning has been given a cautious welcome by the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams.
However, he expressed concern that the weapons issue could return to block all party negotiations "further down the road". He asked for "clarity and detail" on this and other issues.
Meanwhile, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, has increased pressure on the republicans by calling for an immediate IRA ceasefire, otherwise the rest of the parties should move on without Sinn Fein.
"Let it now stop immediately," he said. All parties could then work together to reach agreement. However, if the ceasefire did not take place, "let the rest of us get together and work quickly and strongly with both governments to reach that agreement".
Sources close to republican thinking said there was a "huge debate" going on inside the movement.
The key question was whether decommissioning really had been removed as an obstacle to Sinn Fein's participation in negotiations on an overall settlement.
There is still some distrust of the British government's intentions on this "enormously important and fundamental issue" although it is acknowledged the Labour administration has been more conciliatory than its predecessor.
There is also uncertainty in republican minds over the bona fides of the Irish Government, and republicans will be looking to Mr Bertie Ahern to play a role similar to that played by Mr Albert Reynolds in the negotiation of the last ceasefire.
Republicans are said to be encouraged by the decommissioning document but concerned by some of the comments Mr Tony Blair made in the Commons yesterday where he appeared to adopt a hardline interpretation of the Mitchell report proposals on decommissioning.
It is understood, however, that progress towards an IRA ceasefire has not been seriously impeded by the Commons exchanges.
There is an appreciation in republican circles that Mr Blair had to take a particular tone when speaking in the British parliament and that the nature of his written undertakings on decommissioning were the important issue.
A key point for republicans is that the two governments appeared to have acknowledged that without cooperation from republican and loyalist paramilitaries, decommissioning is impossible. Republicans want the weapons issue to be dealt with at the end of negotiations for a settlement, not at the beginning or in the middle.
In his statement, Mr Adams said Sinn Fein would give the proposals our fullest attention and consideration.
The aide memoire had addressed "in varying degrees" the four issues central to meaningful and inclusive negotiations. "Clarity and detail are of course still necessary on these matters. Presumably, these can be provided without further delay," Mr Adams said.