A new round of intensive dialogue with pro-agreement parties in the North is to take place under the chairmanship of Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen.
The announcement was made following talks today between the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern and the British Prime Minister Mr Blair.
Speaking after their meeting in Dublin, the Taoiseach said the talks were very constructive and Mr Blair said the working relationship between the two governments was "absolutely remarkable".
Today's meeting at Phoenix Park is the first since Mr Ahern said he did not agree with Mr Blair's decision to postpone the scheduled May 29th elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Mr Blair again called for clarity from the IRA over its intentions and a complete ending to all paramilitary activity and insisted there was going to be no renegotiation of the Belfast Agreement. He said it was the only way there was "any possibility" of moving forward.
Mr Blair put the elections to the suspended Assembly on hold after claiming republicans had not given clear assurances that all violence would end.
Despite two attempts by Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams to stress the IRA posed no threat to the Agreement, Downing Street demanded more guarantees that the IRA would stop buying guns, gathering intelligence, targeting and punishment attacks.
Mr David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party refused to go back into the devolved institutions, brought down last October amid allegations of republican spying, until the paramilitary organisation went out of business.
The IRA leadership has also vowed to release the statement it gave to the two governments nearly three weeks ago after activists had been briefed on its contents.
Sinn Féin has demanded London and Dublin clear up the political mess left after the British government postponed the Stormont poll.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs was also criticised by Mr McGuinness and Mr Adams as divisions emerged between the party and Dublin over its handling of the affair.
Mr Adams attacked Mr McDowell's description of the Government's role in the process as an "honest broker" and claimed he would not send the minister to the shop to buy a pint of milk. Agencies