The British and Irish governments were battling to save their Northern Ireland devolution initiative last night as Sinn Féin and the DUP again rejected compromise proposals for a photographic record of future IRA decommissioning.
As DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley prepared for fresh talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, in London this afternoon, tomorrow's Dáil debate was assuming critical importance to attempts by both governments to resume negotiations in a last-gasp bid for a pre-Christmas deal.
Without that, both DUP and Sinn Féin sources last night expected there would be no further political movement on Northern Ireland ahead of the British general election expected next summer.
Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams appeared to dismiss the question of photographs of any future IRA decommissioning after his lengthy talks with Mr Blair and senior officials at 10 Downing Street yesterday.
"The photographs are dead and gone and buried in Ballymena," declared Mr Adams in reference to the Rev Ian Paisley's recent controversial "sackcloth and ashes" speech.
As the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, sought to restore his relations with the DUP, Downing Street refused to say whether Mr Adams had delivered any fresh offer during his meeting with Mr Blair. British sources were careful not to repeat the comments by Mr Ahern which had prompted Dr Paisley to briefly "break-off" relations with the Irish Government. At the same time they accepted the reality that the IRA had rejected what Mr Ahern and Mr Blair had offered last Wednesday as a "genuine compromise" on the arms issue.
With Dr Paisley due in Downing Street this afternoon, Mr Blair's official spokesman said he would "not give a running commentary" on the ongoing negotiations, while suggesting they could continue into Christmas week. However, while it remained unclear whether Mr Adams had advanced the republican position during his meeting with Mr Blair, there seemed little immediate prospect of any alternative compromise working as senior DUP sources again insisted photographs of IRA decommissioning had to be published before the DUP would enter a power-sharing government with Sinn Féin.
The compromise advocated by Mr Blair and Mr Ahern last week - also rejected by the IRA - would have allowed photographs to be taken at the end of the decommissioning process, and the two governments and party leaders to be shown them at that point, but with publication delayed until after a new power-sharing Executive would "go live" in March.
Meanwhile - as the focus remained on the question of arms, and Irish Government requirements in terms of republican commitments regarding paramilitary and criminal activity, and respect for human rights - Ulster Unionists continued to flag their opposition to proposals to give Northern Ireland MPs speaking and other rights in the Dáil or Seanad.
Senior party sources say they regard this as "a potential deal-breaker" which would "totally undermine the principle of consent" governing Northern Ireland's current constitutional position. However, Downing Street signalled last night that it considers this "entirely a matter for the Dáil".