The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, called in the House of Commons yesterday for all paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland to be "stood down" as soon as possible.
At question time, Mr Blair said it was "intolerable" that paramilitaries should have played a part in recent sectarian disturbances.
He said it was unacceptable that the transition from violence to democracy under the Belfast Agreement should be allowed to "stall".
Mr Blair added: "It is not enough for people simply to be on ceasefire and think that there is some tolerated level of violence. No violence can be tolerated."
He said the deal had brought benefits but warned that ceasefire tests would be applied, and he added: "It is right that with the passage of time these judgments should become increasingly rigorous."
Mr Blair told MPs that four years after the Belfast Agreement it was "no longer sufficient that there should be no terrorist violence - we have to be clear that preparations for violence have ceased."
He said that in assessing the state of the ceasefires the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, would give particular weight to substantiated information that paramilitary organisations were engaged in activities such as training, targeting or the acquisition or development of weapons in Northern Ireland or elsewhere.
Mr David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionists, said any judgment about breaches of the ceasefire that came from a Northern Secretary of State would have "no credibility" especially within the unionist community.
Another mechanism was required - there should be a provision for an "objective element" to conduct regular audits of paramilitary activity. He urged Dr Reid to reiterate his promise to require the Assembly to consider a motion to exclude Sinn Féin if the IRA breached the ceasefire.
Mr Trimble wanted a "clear, unequivocal" undertaking that Dr Reid would act in the case of substantiated information of paramilitaries training, targeting or acquiring weapons.
The Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Quentin Davies, told MPs that Dr Reid's statement demonstrated "quite extraordinary vacuousness". Accusing Dr Reid of having "a credibility problem", Mr Davies said that all the Northern Ireland Secretary had done was to say that he would be prepared to use powers he already has at his disposal but had never used.
Challenged by Ulster Unionist Lady Sylvia Hermon, Mr Blair said it was "no longer sufficient just that there should be no terrorist violence". He stressed: "We have to be clear that preparations for violence have also ceased."
Lady Hermon said the Prime Minister had taken responsibility for laying down clear principles for those moving from violence to peaceful democratic means.
"You also gave an undertaking that you would spell out the consequences for those who did not abide by those principles. Republican violence has continued. Loyalist violence has continued, including the appalling murder of the young Catholic this week.
"Will you please tell this House what the principles are and what the consequences are for breaches of those principles?"
Mr Blair told her: "We all signed up in the Belfast Agreement for a transition from violence to democracy in Northern Ireland."We didn't expect it to happen overnight. But nor is it acceptable that this transition should now stall."