The photographing of decommissioning was always impossible and only insisted upon by DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley as an excuse to reject the Anglo-Irish peace plan, according to the IRA.
In a statement to republican newspaper, An Phoblacht, the IRA insisted it would not be humiliated by the DUP but said it was committed to a totally peaceful society.
The IRA added that it had been prepared to fully disarm by the end of December.
However, the DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson says the IRA must have a change of heart on disarmament if there is to be political progress in Northern Ireland.
The Lagan Valley MP warned this morning that there could be a prolonged stalemate if republicans did not address seriously the issue of arms.
"I hope over the weekend republicans will take time to reflect on the progress that has been made in the negotiations," he said.
"But republicans need to set themselves some serious questions about what has happened. If there is going to be an impasse over decommissioning, then it could go on for a long time," he said.
The deal failed when the IRA refused to provide photographic evidence of decommissioning. Sinn Féin's Mr Gerry Adams said the IRA would not submit to the "humiliation" requested by Dr Paisley.
The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister held at a press conference at Belfast's Waterfront Hall yesterday at which they released the 23-page formula they were working on to revive the Stormont Executive and Assembly.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Ahern, believes that in this morning's statement the IRA did not entirely rule out the issue of obtaining photographic evidence of decommissioning.
"The refusal of photographs wasn't as explicit as is being indicated, in my view.
"It was always part of the discussions that photographs may be necessary in order to convince the DUP to bring them over the line.
"Always we knew the issue of photographs in themselves might not be the difficulty but the publication of the photographs in such a way as would be seen as being a humiliation or a victory for one side would not be countenanced," he said.
Mr Ahern said the purpose of publishing the Governments' draft deal yesterday was to show how far the parties had come in attempting a settlement.
The Minister and Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy will meet the parties next week in a bid to sort out the last remaining problem preventing the restoration of a power-sharing administration.
He said the two Governments would try to find a middle ground between the positions of DUP and Sinn Féin.