Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair are finalising a detailed negotiating paper to be presented to the Northern parties at talks in Scotland next week after the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) said yesterday that the IRA has committed itself to a "political path".
The IMC said the IRA was not "now engaged in terrorism" and while some individual members, contrary to orders, are involved in criminality, the leadership of the organisation has set itself firmly against such activity.
It also said that the IRA had taken steps to run down its terrorist capability. "It has disbanded 'military' structures, including the general headquarters departments responsible for procurement, engineering and training, and it has stood down volunteers and stopped allowances. Continuing inactivity itself leads to further erosion of capability," it added.
Dublin, London and Washington based on the findings of the IMC yesterday increased pressure on the DUP to agree to share power with Sinn Féin.
The British and Irish governments buoyed by the highly positive nature of the IMC report are now preparing proposals to be presented to the parties at the talks in St Andrews next week detailing how an agreement might be achieved by their deadline of November 24th.
Mr Ahern and Mr Blair when they meet the parties over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are due to outline the areas where they believe agreement has been achieved and obstacles yet to be overcome. These chiefly are convincing the DUP to share power with Sinn Féin and persuading Sinn Féin to sign up to policing.
One proposal that is being seriously considered is that the parties would sign up to a "contingency" deal by November 24th whereby the DUP would agree to share power at a specified date after the deadline, possibly into early next year, according to senior London sources.
This commitment would be conditional on the Sinn Féin leadership, also at a date after November 24th, convincing a special ardfheis that it should endorse the PSNI, the sources added.
"What is vital is that we have an agreement by November 24th that all the parties endorse. That said such an agreement could mean Ian Paisley actually sharing power after that date and Gerry Adams supporting the PSNI after that date," said one senior talks source.
Mr Blair, Mr Ahern and US special envoy on the peace process Dr Mitchell Reiss made it clear yesterday that on the back of the IMC report they believed the DUP could not justify refusing to enter a devolved Assembly with Sinn Féin. "The IRA's campaign is over. The IRA has done what we asked it to do," said Mr Blair. "While issues like policing remain to be resolved the door is now open to a final settlement, which is why the talks next week in Scotland are so important," he added.
The Taoiseach said it was time to make decisions and for Northern Ireland to look to the future. "It is now clearly apparent that the IRA has neither the intent nor the interest in restarting its military campaign," said Mr Ahern.
"We expect the parties to shoulder their responsibilities and to come to Scotland to address the final obstacles and open to agreement," he added.
Dr Reiss said the parties should seize the chance to strike a deal in St Andrews. "This report, combined with previous commission findings, confirms that the IRA has undertaken to do what it said it would," he added.
The DUP welcomed the positive elements of the IMC report but stressed it would not be "bullied" into a deal. DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley said he wanted more progress from the IRA. "There can and will be no toleration for those who are half in and half out of the democratic club," he said.
Sinn Féin leader Mr Adams, who is to meet Mr Blair at Chequers on Friday, said a deal could have been done by last night or today if the DUP could decide whether it wanted to condemn Northern Ireland to second class government or share power.