The Protestant group behind the blockade of a Catholic primary school in north Belfast has agreed to discuss the standoff with local nationalists.
A spokesman for the Protestant Concerned Residents of Upper Ardoyne (CRUA), Mr Mark Coulter, said last night that they would be having exploratory talks with an ad-hoc forum of nationalists in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
Pupils at Holy Cross Primary School in Ardoyne were last term denied access to the school's main entrance by Protestant residents.
Mr Coulter said that after a meeting of Protestants in the area it had been agreed that the exploratory talks would take place this evening.
Another member of the CRUA, Mr Jim Potts, commented: "We are optimistic that the meeting [this evening] will ultimately lead to a resolution of all the issues." These issues included access to shops, intimidation and attacks on Protestant homes, he said.
Earlier, a spokesman for the North's Department of Education said it was extremely concerned about the situation and hoped the dispute could be resolved before the new school year begins next Monday.
"Every child has the right to be educated in a safe and secure environment that is conducive to learning, and the Department will continue to support the board of governors, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools and the Belfast Education and Library Board in their efforts to ensure that this is achieved for the pupils attending Holy Cross", he said.
The local Church of Ireland rector, the Rev Stewart Heaney, said that the children should be allowed to go to school and the issue should not be linked to other disputes.
"We all acknowledge that there are many unresolved problems and difficulties in this interface area, including damage to property, murder, fear and intimidation", he said. "These must be resolved, but they cannot be resolved overnight."