Talks involving the North's political parties got off to a predictable start today as the DUP demanded Sinn Féin be excluded from any discussions on power sharing.
DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson
The latest attempt to revive the peace process comes amid the political fallout from last week's report on paramilitary activity and a controversy over the Rev Ian Paisley's criticism of President Mary McAleese.
After meetings in Hillsborough Castle with Northern Secretary Peter Hain and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Dr Paisley said the IRA would have to disband before talks with Sinn Féin.
"You cannot sit at a table as IRA/Sinn Féin. "They must be disbanded. That is what ministers of the Republic of Ireland have said," Dr Paisley said.
"One of their ex-prime ministers said they should be an old boys' association.
"I don't think that Sinn Féiners should be in talks to set up a new government of Northern Ireland when they are still at their criminal activities," he continued.
"I said I was the best Blairite in the House of Commons. I agreed with Mr Blair when he kept saying they can't be there until they have given up their criminal activities."
"We are told by the Agreement that only democrats should be there, and they don't have democrats there," he said. "Their (the British and Irish governments') own commissions have said they are not democratic," the DUP leader added.
Dr Paisley also said his party had managed to ensure that Mr Ahern and his officials from Dublin would have no role in negotiations on the internal affairs of Northern Ireland.
Both governments are looking for progress in talks to restore devolution in Northern Ireland by April, a source close to the talks said.
He said: "There are plans for a Northern Ireland Bill going through the House of Commons in April.
"There is a possibility if there is sufficient progress in the talks that we could include other aspects, such as any agreement on the institutional framework of the agreement as well as a number of other items such as electricity deregulation."
Mr Ahern said the talks - expected to last a number of months - will be a test of leadership for the North's politicians. Mr Ahern and Mr Hain are meeting the Stormont Assembly parties in an effort to restore powersharing.
"Allegations of Provisional involvement in crime and leadership sanctioned illegal intelligence gathering cannot be glossed over," the Minister said. "The message must be borne home that the Irish people, in the first act of all-Ireland self-determination since 1918, voted for peaceful, democratic politics, free from such acts.
"We only ask that the Provisionals heed the will of the Irish people. Equally we ask that unionists show determined leadership now. We need to see a clear willingness to share power with nationalists," he said.
Mr Hain said all parties needed to contribute. "There is no reason at all for any political party not to negotiate on the future politics of Northern Ireland now," he said.
"Terrorism has been closed down by the IRA. It is still unfortunately in existence with small paramilitary groups on the loyalist side and on the republican, dissident side.
"These groups need to be dealt with, but there is no reason at all for any political party not to turn up and discuss with me at Hillsborough Castle the way forward," Mr Hain said.
But at its annual conference in Belfast on Saturday, the DUP insisted it would not be rushed into a devolved government.
Following the publication last week of the eighth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission, the DUP said its claims that IRA members were still involved in intelligence gathering, acts of violence and criminality show why Sinn Féin is not a fit partner for a devolved government.
Dr Paisley also said President McAleese hated Northern Ireland and accused her of breaching diplomatic protocol and being hostile to the PSNI.
Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness urged the governments to face up to those in unionism and the security forces intent on wrecking the peace process.
"In my view most people are fed up with the endless, repetitive circular arguments that pass for politics", Mr McGuinness said. "Today presents an opportunity to change all of this. Hard choices will soon have to be made by the DUP."