Representatives of Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionists are to meet today in the first in a series of bilateral meetings between before a round-table discussion later this week.
Ulster Unionists are expected to be questioned about their position on the creation of a devolved ministry for justice and policing by the Sinn Féin team at today's meeting.
Sinn Féin Assembly Group leader Conor Murphy will also meet representatives of the SDLP. Today's meetings are taking place against the backdrop of two rows which have threatened to derail the talks process.
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble threatened last week to withdraw from the talks over legislation proposed in the Dáil that would keep six cross-border bodies in operation. His party denounced the move as a side deal on which it had not been consulted.
However, SDLP leader Mark Durkan has claimed Mr Trimble was aware in advance of the move of the need to protect 700 jobs in the six north-south bodies that cover issues ranging from food safety to special European Union programmes.
Mr Trimble also surprised political opponents last Thursday when he broke ranks from them in calling for the Government to withhold the transfer of policing and justice powers to a devolved administration.
He argued unionists could not consider such a move even in the wake of an IRA move to end paramilitarism because of allegations that republicans operated a spy ring at Stormont.
PA