Today's Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) which declared the IRA to be firmly committed to peace, received a generally warm welcome today but DUP leader Ian Paisley led the calls for Sinn Fein to back the PSNI.
The Democratic Unionists are seeking urgent talks with the IMC to assess whether the it believes the IRA could return paramilitarism and criminality.
Rev Ian Paisley insisted today his party's pressure had forced the IRA into its current position but expressed concern the Commission's failure to state whether it was involved murdered in the murder of former Sinn Fein official and British spy Denis Donaldson.
But he was most exercised by the IRA's refusal to give the PSNI it backing. "Sinn Féin/IRA does not support policing and the rule of law," he declared.
"Democrats have nothing to prove and if Sinn Féin wish to be treated on the same basis as everyone else, then it is for them to now support the police, the courts and the rule of law.
Chairman of the IMC Lord Alderdice insisted after publication of today's report the Commission had not received any evidence or information that could help them attribute blame for Mr Donaldson murder.
He also insisted that the scale of the IRA's disarmament meant it was very unlikely it could ever wage violence on the same level again.
"It's very difficult to see how the current republican leadership, having gone on the route they have, could suddenly turn around and walk in a different direction," the former Alliance Party leader said.
With policing a make-or-break issue in talks next week on restoration of power-sharing, Northern Secretary Peter Hain recognised that Sinn Féin needed to move on the issue. But he said the IMC report meant that no party could "dodge its responsibility" to get themselves with reaching distance of a deal.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern also insisted the report had paved the way for overcoming the "final obstacles to agreement.
"We genuinely believe that sustainable partnership government is achievable and that Northern Ireland can now move forward with confidence that the past has been left behind," he said.
This evening the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, welcomed the report however, he highlighted the IMC's assertion that loyalist paramilitary organisations remain active.
"I would encourage both governments to intensify their efforts to put in place measures to encourage the loyalist groups to pursue their objectives through democratic means," Mr Kenny said.
Additional reporting PA