The focus on the responsibility of republicans to play their part in breaking the political deadlock in Northern Ireland is unhealthy, Sinn Féin's chief negotiator said today.
Mr Martin McGuinness was reacting to Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble's statement yesterday that visible evidence of IRA decommissioning was needed.
Mr Trimble said unionists would not be satisfied with a simple statement from the international decommissioning body chief, Canadian General John de Chastelain, that an act of decommissioning had taken place.
Mr McGuinness said today that Mr Trimble was demanding something "outside the terms of reference" of the de Chastelain body.
"I think everybody has to be very realistic and they have to understand that this isn't really a single item agenda," he said. "I think there is a very unhealthy focus put on the responsibility of republicans when clearly there is a lot of work to be done by David Trimble around issues like the sustainability of the institutions."
Speaking on RTÉ radio, Mr McGuinness also spoke of a new optimism that steps would be taken towards resolving the deadlock.
"I, as much as everybody else, expect everybody within the political equation to play their part and that would include the IRA," he added.
Although he warned of a need to be cautious about what the British Prime Minister was prepared to deliver, Mr McGuinness said he still believed Mr Tony Blair was "a good person".
He added: "I think that in relation to Ireland he has been the first British prime minister, maybe in our history, to seriously look at Britain's relationship with our country and to engage in processes that would bring about fundamental change and we will continue to work with him .. on the basis of good faith."