The Taoiseach will meet the British Prime Minister in London today for their first meeting this year on Northern Ireland.
The meeting, which will take place over lunch in Downing Street, is to assess the general political situation in the North. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, will also attend.
Mr Ahern, on BBC's Breakfast with Frost yesterday, said progress had been "very good" on implementing most aspects of the Belfast Agreement. "From a peaceful point of view, from a progress point of view, there are no extraordinary pressurising points that are creating major difficulties."
He said the meeting with Mr Blair was "more looking at the issues and making sure we can build progress around policing. I think the main thing for us now is to make sure that all of those issues of equality, of progress that were set out in the agreement, the institutions that are going very well, that we can pace with that."
The Taoiseach again ruled out the possibility of Fianna Fáil forming a coalition government with Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin would have to sever its connection with the IRA before such a coalition could even be considered.
"I have made our position very, very clear. In our Constitution, there can only be adherence to one police force, one army and, until Sinn Féin make their position unambiguously clear, then that is not possible and that is not going to be possible for some time."
He acknowledged that Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness and others had clearly stated it was their intention to move their political movement away from the past and away from their associations or connections with the IRA. "In actual fact I think their stated position is that there will be no IRA."
He urged Sinn Féin to sign up to the North's Policing Board, which he said had performed well. "I think ultimately if we are to have proper policing with the respect of the community, it's necessary in any society that the community supports the police service."
He hoped its support would be forthcoming after a review of policing reforms, due to start in April. "That's meant to take about six months and the other side of that, it is hoped that there could be some amending legislation.