The Taoiseach and British prime minister have insisted that continuing the political stalemate in the North throughout 2006 is not an option, despite continuing doubt over whether the North's political institutions can be restored this year.
Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair said the stalemate risked creating instability. Expressing determination to have the institutions restored, Mr Ahern said: "This is not a time for sitting back. It's not a time for complacency. We cannot afford a prolonged stalemate.
"Our shared objective is simple, we have to complete the transition to peace and prosperity for all the citizens of Northern Ireland. We want to see the restoration of the democratic institutions of the GFA [Good Friday agreement]. We believe that this is in the interest of every one in Northern Ireland and throughout these islands.We recognise that that it is an ambitious goal as always."
He said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and Northern Secretary Peter Hain would begin intensive talks with the North's political parties on February 6th.
"We are not saying it's going to be easy. There are serious issues to be dealt with and we understand fully eight years on what those issues are. Everyone knows what is required, power-sharing and policing and working together in democratic institutions for the good of everybody.
"Everybody needs to take risks and everybody needs to take responsibility. The Good Friday agreement is a formula for peace. There is no other way forward. There is no going back either."
Both he and Mr Blair stressed that they wanted the institutions restored in 2006; Mr Blair said he did not want this to be interpreted as meaning that the deadline was at the end of the year. He said a state of paralysis in the political process was not acceptable.
"However benign or placid things may appear, whilst that stalemate continues, actually underneath the surface there are all the currents of instability present when there is not a true forceful direction bringing the process forward.
"This is not a situation where we can simply maintain the present status quo. We have got to move it forward. That is going to take a lot of ambition and pushing for everybody. We are determined to do that. Whatever difficulties people have and whatever issues they need resolving, it's my opinion that it's better to resolve them within the context of proper devolved institutions. The sooner that can happen the better."
Mr Blair said he did not know what was in the Independent Monitoring Commission report, to be given to the two governments tomorrow. Asked what would happen if it did not give the IRA a "clean bill of health" concerning the total cessation of all its activities, he said it was important to see continuing progress.
"As I have said previously, it's very hard to see every last little bit fall into place immediately. We watch this report. We watch the one in a few months time. It's important that we see incremental progress and we do not see any sliding back."
Mr Blair acknowledged that some political parties may not have the same sense of urgency on the re-establishment of the institutions as had the governments. "Other parties may not have the same sense of urgency. I think that what we are signalling today, and with the talks starting, is we do. We do have a responsibility to take the thing forward. It can't just be left where it is.
"What the Taoiseach and I are signalling very clearly today is what we want. We can't just wait on everybody to make up their minds. We will want to see this thing move forward."