The DUP for the first time has decided to send a senior team of MPs to a meeting of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (BIIPB) in Killarney, Co Kerry, later this month.
While the DUP will be making a presentation to the body rather than formally joining it, the decision to travel to Co Kerry represents another thawing in the DUP's approach to North-South relations.
Four of its MPs, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds, Jeffrey Donaldson and Iris Robinson, will outline their views on the current state of the political process when they address the British and Irish parliamentarians on April 24th.
They are also expected to engage in a question-and-answer session with the BIIPB members.This decision poses a question for the Ulster Unionist Party as to whether it should end its boycott of the BIIPB, which was established in 1990 and flowed from the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement.
The party's sole MP, Lady (Sylvia) Hermon, who represents North Down, said the DUP's decision would have no bearing on whether she attended the Killarney gathering.
"Having said that, I am not a politician who does boycott politics, but I can't recall receiving a formal invitation to the event, so therefore I am not in a position to make a proper comment."
A DUP spokesman said it now "made sense" to deliver the presentation, as the party was already engaging in similar initiatives to defend its position beyond Northern Ireland and Westminster.
For example, he said, in recent years it attended the annual meetings of the British-Irish Association, where it had engaged with a wide range of politicians, academics, business people, commentators and journalists.
The BIIPB is co-chaired by former northern secretary Paul Murphy and Fianna Fáil TD Pat Carey. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern welcomed the DUP decision - as did Mr Carey, who hoped the UUP might be similarly disposed to attend, even if initially only in observer format. "After all, we are all practising and practical politicians who are as concerned about the situation in Northern Ireland as they are, and are anxious to be helpful in any way we can."
The Labour Party deputy leader Liz McManus also welcomed the decision, adding: "I hope that, following this meeting, they will decide to attend all future meetings of the body as full participants.
"However, the ultimate test for the party remains whether or not it is prepared to accept the will of the majority of the people in Northern Ireland and enter into a powersharing Executive with the SDLP and Sinn Féin. Thus far, they have shown little sign that they are willing to do so."
Sinn Féin TD Arthur Morgan, who is a member of the body, said along with fellow members he looked forward to hearing from the DUP in Killarney.
"However, we will want to hear from the DUP that they are going to end the stalling and the prevaricating. We will want to hear from them that they accept the way forward is laid out in the Good Friday agreement and that they accept the democratic will of the people," he added.
