It is getting increasingly hard to believe that Sinn Fein can meet its commitment under the St Andrews Plan for power sharing at Stormont, a senior Democratic Unionist MP claimed today.
North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds cast doubt on the Governments' timetable for devolution by March 26th.
And he also moved to scotch suggestions that the Democratic Unionist Party was divided over the party's handling of the St Andrews Plan.
He saids: "The DUP has a clear united policy which is the resolution that was passed by our executive on November 9th. That was unanimously supported and that is where the DUP stands.
"It says there can only be agreement when there is delivery by the Republican Movement on a host of issues. "Those are a commitment to uphold the rule of law, support the police and the courts, a commitment to purely democratic means and an end to paramilitary and criminal activity.
"That will have to be tested over a credible period. "We have almost 100 days between now and March 26, the target date for devolution. "It is getting increasingly difficult to imagine any circumstance now under which Sinn Fein, even if they held their ard fheis (party conference) on policing on Monday with a credible testing period, could meet the governments' timeframe."
Mr Blair and Mr Ahern are hoping that fresh Assembly elections will take place in early March in preparation for a new devolved Government on March 26th. However major stumbling blocks remain, primarily over policing.
Sinn Fein is the only party of the four parties who would qualify for devolved ministries which does not support the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Reverend Ian Paisley's DUP wants Sinn Fein to publicly endorse the PSNI before a power sharing Government will be formed.
But Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has warned his party cannot hold a special conference to change its policing policy without agreement first on a date for transferring policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont, a deal on the type of Government department that will handle it and the exclusion of MI5 from any role in civic policing.