"I have had no secret meetings with Gerry Adams," said Mr Ahern. "Despite all the difficulties I’ve made it absolutely clear that I would maintain dialogue with Sinn Féin and my meetings with Gerry Adams are consistent with that."
"On balance I think these meeting were better conducted outside the glare of publicity."
Mr Ahern reiterated the government positions that the IRA needs to renounce parmilitarism and all associated criminal activity as well as fully decommission weapons if the process is to move forward.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
"My primary concern over the coming months is to get the institutions back up and running."
He said he continues to meet various Northern politicians and he does inform the House of all these meetings. He said there was ongoing contact with the DUP via officials and he was clear what he would require from them should the IRA respond positively to the current outstanding issues.
Responding to a question from Finian McGrath TD that the public was frustrated by the lack of progress, Mr Ahern said he was not concerned that a political vacuum was forming in the North.
"In the period up to the election it was not possible to make any progress," said Mr Ahern. "Reluctantly everyone accepted that and the last few weeks have been spent trying to gain momentum."
Mr Ahern also said the upcoming marching season would be crucial and that all political leaders would need to work together to ensure they passed off peacefully.
He highlighted the concerns in Derry where the Orange Order want to hold its Twelfth celebrations in the city and is refusing direct talks with residents. He also said there was not going to be any movement on Drumcree this year and that Ardoyne continued to be at the "kernel of difficulties".
Mr Ahern's comments come ahead of his first meetings since the recent UK elections
with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Democratic Unionist Party.