The Dáil will tonight vote on a motion on the peace process that was agreed between the Government parties and Fine Gael.
The motion, which is an amended version of a Fine Gael private members' motion, was agreed after lengthy negotiations between the Government and the largest opposition party yesterday.
Among other elements, it calls on the IRA to finally abandon violence and embrace peace. "A blind eye has been turned to the ongoing criminality of the IRA for too long," Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny said in the Dáil last night. "Well tonight Fine Gael is shouting 'Stop'."
The motion is expected to be overwhelmingly passed with cross-party support.
The amended version will be in the names of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern and Mr Kenny. Labour, the Green Party and most if not all Independents will support it.
Fine Gael's motion reaffirmed commitment to the Belfast Agreement; regretted the lack of agreement on decommissioning and criminality; noted the damage done to the peace process by the Northern Bank robbery; noted the assessment by the Irish and British governments that this was the work of the IRA; and rejected Sinn Féin's view of what constitutes criminality.
The amendment in Mr Ahern's and Mr Kenny's names leaves all of this unchanged, but replaces a reference to the Taoiseach having made an "offer" to release the killers of Det Garda Jerry McCabe.
The Government insists that the release of the men was a "demand" made by Sinn Féin rather than an "offer" by the Government.
The agreed version to be voted upon tonight "welcomes the Taoiseach's recent statement that the question regarding the early release of the murderers of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was no longer on the table".
Sinn Féin's leader in the Dáil, Cavan Monaghan TD Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain will speak for five minutes tonight ahead of the second half of the debate on the motion.
Last night Mr O'Caolain described the motion as very negative and said it offered nothing to move the troubled Northern Ireland peace process forward. "We will defend the mandate of our party which has the support of over a third of a million voters on this island," he said.