Northern Secretary Dr John Reid tonight said all sides in the peace process would have to "stretch their constituency" to make a deal.
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Mr Seamus Mallon
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Dr Reid told a joint IBEC/CBI dinner in Dublin the British government was leading by example with the closure of military installations and police reforms.
He also said they had no other option but to press ahead with the recruitment drive for officers to the new police service this week.
"I had to face the fact that if I did not do it, then next year we would be facing a situation in which we would not have enough officers to meet the minimum number recommended by Patten," Dr Reid said.
"We would have to deploy the army which would go against everything we are trying to do."
Earlier, Deputy First Minister Mr Seamus Mallon said the stalemate in the Northern Ireland peace process must be resolved within a week if the Belfast Agreement was to be saved.
Mr Mallon's comments follows a statement by First Minister Mr David Trimble today in which he said the Agreement could be heading for review.
"I very much hope there is progress as a result of these meetings but matters are as yet uncertain," Mr Trimble said.
"If there is failure to deal with these issues then obviously we have to take stock and a review is an obvious way of taking stock."
The First Minister was speaking after a meeting with British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair. The SDLP held a separate meeting with the prime minister.
After their meeting the SDLP’s Mr Seamus Mallon called for round-table talks to help solve the impasse.
With talks on decommissioning, policing and demilitarisation still deadlocked, Mr Mallon said there was about a week left to get an agreement.
"I think that is the reality, so let's be more precise, let's say within a week," Mr Mallon said.
A North-South Ministerial Council meeting scheduled for Friday week is being seen as a potential deadline for agreement.
But it is believed in the absence of a deal Mr Trimble is virtually certain to veto the attendance of Sinn Féin ministers at the meeting.
PA