There is no flexibility on the deadline of November 24 thfor the establishment of a fully functioning Executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland, the Northern Secretary Peter Hain said today.
Mr Hain was speaking after the British-Irish Intergovernmental conference in Dublin today.
"There is no flexibility on the November deadline. Come midnight on the 24 th, assembly members' salaries will go on ice and benefits will be stopped. We won't blink. Northern Ireland politics has been about procrastination year upon year. We cannot continue like that," he said.
Mr Hain said there was no reason why any party would not proceed with the restoration of the Assembly in the wake of the IMC report last week.
"The IMC report is a milestone report. There has been momentous change and a substantial leap in eliminating criminality by the IRA. If the November 24 thdeadline is not adhered to, it will be a great opportunity missed. There is no reason for anyone not to engage seriously in producing a power sharing Executive," he added.
Mr Hain and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern both condemned the recent murder of Denis Donaldson and called on all communities to commit to the peace process.
The Northern Secretary said he was "seriously concerned" about the continuation of loyalist violence.
"Loyalist paramilitaries are still active. They have not decommissioned. They are engaged in gangsterism and criminality and it is totally unacceptable. They have got to stop," he said.
During the conference, the two governments discussed the upcoming marching season and expressed support for the new Parades Commission. They also discussed the development of sustainable energy on an all-island basis and increasing co-operation on infrastructure and spatial planning.