The IRA has issued a new statement this evening warning the Irish and British governments not to "underestimate" the seriousness of the crisis in the peace process.
Today's IRA statement
In a short statement, the group said the two governments were "trying to play down our [earlier] statement because they are making a mess of the peace process. Do not underestimate the seriousness of the situation."
The statement was issued to RTÉ news by telephone shortly before 6 p.m.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, played down the IRA's 800-word statement issued last night and called for talks to continue between all sides in the peace process.
Last night's statement accused the two governments of withdrawing their commitments and trying the group's patience to the limit. It confirmed that it was withdrawing its proposals to get rid of its weapons, which were believed to be on the table before Christmas as part of a "comprehensive agreement".
"The IRA has demonstrated our commitment to the peace process again and again," it stated last night. "We wanted to succeed. We have played a key role in achieving the progress achieved so far."
Speaking in Dundalk today, Mr Ahern called for a period of reflection and urged all parties involved to continue in their efforts to resolve the outstanding issues of the Belfast Agreement. "I don't read the IRA statement in a negative fashion," he said.
"They are saying what is a fact, that negotiations have broken down. . . . Everything is off the table and that's the normal course of negotiation."
He insisted the Government were "not into excluding or blaming anyone" and said it would continue in its stated objective, which was "the end of criminality and associated issues of paramilitarism".
The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) today sent a report on the Belfast bank heist to the two governments. It will be considered by the Cabinet and published next week.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, this afternoon demanded the IRA halt all criminality and violence. "I don't expect the IRA now to start writing out long confessions about all the barbarous things and illegal things they've done in the past," he told RTÉ radio this afternoon.
"But I do expect them, and I expect Sinn Féin to persuade them, to do a very simple thing and that is to tell the Irish people that it's all over, unequivocally, and in language that all of us understand."
Mr McDowell said he agreed with the assessment by the PSNI Chief Constable Mr Hugh Orde that the IRA had the capacity, but not the intent to return to war if they chose. "We are clear the IRA has the capacity, it has the capability, but I don't think they have the intent to go back to war or armed struggle," Mr Orde said today.
"That is clearly so," Mr McDowell said. "They are a disciplined organisation. When the leadership of the Provisional movement, and that includes Sinn Féin, are in negotiation on sensitive issues, things like punishment beatings stop. When the political situation permits it, they resume the beatings."
"They have entire communities in Northern Ireland by the throat in terms of dominating them and in terms of inflicting what they call justice on people that they disapprove of," he added.
"I can't for one minute say that all that can continue and I can't ask anybody on the other side of the community or in the SDLP . . . or the Alliance Party, to say that doesn't matter . . . we'll just carry on with Sinn Féin representatives and carry on as if that's not happening. I can't in conscience do that, and nobody in conscience should be asked to do that."
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney warned that the IRA would not be allowed to "blackmail" democratic governments in the Northern Ireland peace process.
"Sinn Féin and the IRA are the reason the process has been in difficulties. They can't have it every way they want. They're not going to blackmail the British and Irish governments."
The British government said this morning it was not surprised at the IRA move, but insisted it was not seeking confrontation with Sinn Féin. "We do recognise the contribution that both Sinn Féin and the IRA have made to the peace process," Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman said.
"But equally, it's our duty to state the facts as they are and the facts are that the IRA did carry out the robbery."
He also said the government was not concerned about an imminent return to violence by the IRA.
In Belfast Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams said the accusation by the British and Irish governments that the IRA was the only obstacle to a lasting and durable settlement was nonsense.
"The two governments have a critically and important contribution to make. Either they can rise to the hard and difficult challenge of peacemaking, or they can go on making a bad situation worse."
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, claimed this morning the IRA move was an attempt to bargain with the government in order to take the pressure of them.
"The Northern Bank heist confirmed that the IRA never put an offer on the table that they intended to keep. The IRA had never any intention of decommissioning in a credible, transparent and verifiable way. They never had any intention of giving up their criminal empire. That is why they walked away from the table last year," he said.
Mr Orde told Policing Board representatives in Belfast this morning the PSNI was confident it was equipped to deal with any threat posed by the IRA. "This organisation is utterly fit for purpose in terms of gathering intelligence, it's probably one of the most sophisticated intelligence gathering police organisations in the UK."
The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, held meetings at Downing Street with Mr Blair and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, this afternoon.
Following an hour of talks in No 10, Mr Murphy said he did not believe the IRA was about to resume its violence, but he said there was no place in a modern Northern Ireland "for a political party to be linked to an organisation which carries out a £26.5 million robbery".
Speaking separately, Mr Trimble said the Republican movement had been given the opportunity to participate in the democratic process but had "very clearly and conspicuously failed to meet the challenge". He added: "We need people to see, particularly those that voted Sinn Fein thinking that they were encouraging progress, that by voting Sinn Fein they are in danger of embedding in society criminality, private armies and the sort of sordid situations we have seen."