The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, last night welcomed the statement from the Provisional IRA saying that it had engaged in talks with Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning commission.
Speaking on his arrival in Washington ahead of a meeting tomorrow with President Bush, Mr Ahern said: "This is a very welcome development. I look forward to further early and positive developments in pursuit of the IRA commitment to resolving the issue of arms as set out in their statement of May 6th 2000."
The meeting was the first between the Provisional IRA and the commission since last June. The IRA said in its statement that it had set out the basis for discussions on arms during the meeting.
Speaking before a meeting in Washington yesterday with the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, said he hoped that Gen de Chastelain would report next week so that they could get a full account of what had been discussed.
In Northern Ireland, unionists said that the IRA had not gone far enough and called for the decommissioning body to release a full report of the meeting.
The anti-agreement UUP MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson said it was "actions, not words" which were needed from the IRA. He warned that Mr Trimble's sanctions against Sinn Fein ministers would have to stay in place.
Last Thursday, as the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, joined the pro-agreement parties for round-table talks at Hills borough Castle, the IRA said that it was preparing to reopen the lines of communication with the decommissioning body.
The latest IRA statement, which is carried in today's An Phoblacht, says: "On Thursday 8th March the IRA leadership announced that we would enter further discussions with the IICD [International Independent Commission on Decommissioning] on the basis of our commitment to resolving the issue of arms as contained in our statement of 6th May 2000.
"The IRA representative has since met with the IICD and set out the basis for discussions. The IRA has honoured its commitments and will continue to do so."
A spokesman for the decommissioning body last night confirmed that a meeting had taken place with a representative from the IRA. "The commission welcomes this re-engagement, which we consider to be in good faith", he said. He declined to give further details.
The date and location of the meeting is unknown. It is also not known whether Gen de Chastelain was present.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, welcomed the IRA's meeting with the decommissioning body on his arrival in New York last night.
Mr Adams claimed that the latest IRA statement was "further evidence of republicans honouring their commitments and acting in the interests of the peace process."