The holding of Northern Ireland Assembly elections next month now hinges on the Taoiseach and British Prime Minister persuading the IRA to state that it is ending all paramilitary activity, according to well-placed sources, write Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor, and Arthur Beesley, Political Reporter
Mr Ahern and Mr Blair still believe that they can secure an IRA commitment that it will cease all activity but they believe the next 48 hours are critical to the chances of a breakthrough.
While both governments require a clear statement of intent by the IRA to cease its activities, there was doubt last night whether UUP leader Mr David Trimble would sign up to an agreement even if the IRA made a statement acceptable to the two governments.
There is governmental concern that if republicans answer the final question from Mr Blair - is it ending all activity? - that it could be phrased or delivered in a fashion unacceptable to Mr Trimble.
The governments have already accepted commitments from Mr Adams, apparently speaking on behalf of the IRA, that the IRA is prepared to dispose of all its arms and end its campaign of violence.
It follows that if Mr Adams states that the IRA "will" rather than "should" end all activity that the governments would also accept that this was the position of the IRA. Mr Trimble, however, said yesterday he could not accept the commitments in Mr Adams's speech in Stormont on Sunday because they did not directly come from the IRA.
Mr Trimble is due to meet Mr Blair in London tomorrow.
This encounter could prove difficult for both politicians. If Mr Adams provides the clarification required by the governments, Mr Blair must then either call elections for May 29th as scheduled or postpone them until October, as Mr Trimble is understood to privately want.
The indications last night were that with the right response from Mr Adams - in his apparent proxy IRA role - the governments would be more disposed to call elections, even though this could cause a rift between Mr Trimble and Mr Blair.
In Omagh yesterday morning Mr Adams indicated that using the "will" word might not be such a mountain for republicans. He said he had actually used such words in his Sunday speech. "I said the IRA leadership has stated its determination to ensure that its activities will be consistent with its resolve to see the complete and final closure of the conflict," he said.
Mr Adams was in contact with the Taoiseach and Mr Blair last night, and further contact, which will also involve Mr Trimble, continues today.
Mr Adams told a rally of republican activists in west Belfast last night that a "deal is still do-able". He stressed that Assembly elections were important for the party and that, in terms of the election, "nothing should prevent us from moving forward".
Senior sources in Dublin said last night that the intensive political activity was expected to continue only until tomorrow.
Mr Ahern said an indication that the IRA would cease its operations was the final step required to enable a resumption of power-sharing. The Government accepted that Mr Adams's statement meant the IRA's conflict was over and that it would decommission all its arms.
"We're within a whisker, though an important whisker," he said. He added it was natural for Mr Trimble to seek additional clarification from the IRA but said he should also take enormous satisfaction from what had been achieved already.
"I would assume that David Trimble would share the view with me that we have, after a long number of years in this process, a clear unambiguous language dealing with the most fundamental of issues about activities that the IRA were involved in."