Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted that alternative arrangements would be made if the November 24th deadline for the restoration of the Northern institutions is not met.
"November is a real, fixed date. Our aim is to secure the restoration of the devolved institutions," he said.
"I do not want to move away from the full implementation of the Good Friday agreement. If forced to do so, we will have to operate a new partnership arrangement with the British government. But I would prefer not to do that, as I have made clear. But if forced to do it, we will have no alternative but to secure the agreement as best we can." He added that the alternative was "definitely a Plan B, as far as we are concerned", which they would be ready to do "post-haste".
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said his party did not want to see such a situation arrived at either. "But there is a responsibility on all to try to ensure that the DUP, those primarily opposed to real momentum and progress, at this point in time, face up to their collective responsibilities."
Earlier, Mr Ahern said that a considerable amount of effort had gone into dealing with, and teasing out, issues.
"However, I regret the continuing absence of direct engagement between the DUP and the leading nationalist party, Sinn Féin. And that is clearly unhelpful to the process of getting agreement," he added.
"I have urged all year the DUP to engage directly with Sinn Féin. I wish it still happened, because it would still be helpful to making progress before what is a definitive deadline, November 24th." Mr Ahern said there had been agreement on a number of issues, and the most difficult ones had to be resolved. They would be the subject of discussion at the Scottish meeting next month.
