The Northern Minister of Education, Mr Martin McGuinness, has accused the "Real IRA" of playing into the hands of anti-agreement unionists and "securocrats" in the British military establishment.
There has been an increase of "Real IRA" activity in the North in recent weeks and the paramilitary group is believed to have been responsible for a bomb attack on postal offices in London last weekend.
Mr McGuinness claimed "Real IRA" attacks were "playing into the hands of militarists and securocrats" opposed to the scaling down of British army bases in the North. "Those people have used the actions of so-called dissident republicans as an excuse for refusing to give ground on normalisation which people living in nationalist and republican areas like south Armagh need to see and deserve.
"They also play into the hands of rejectionist unionists like Ian Paisley."
Mr McGuinness said the North's political parties should not be deflected by a possible British election in June as they attempt to end the current political deadlock.
"A lot of spade work" needed to be done before June to reach agreement on policing, demilitarisation, decommissioning and sanctions against Sinn Fein ministers. His party would be in regular contact with the two governments. "We are of the view that just because we are facing a possible election does not mean people should stop facing up to their responsibilities," he added.
Mr David Trimble's ban on Mr McGuinness and the Minister of Health, Ms Bairbre de Brun, from attending North-South Ministerial Council meetings was a serious matter, he said.
He accused the First Minister of acting illegally and said that by thwarting meetings of the council his actions were not just directed against Sinn Fein but against the SDLP and the government as well. He claimed Mr Trimble's strategy had "complicated and hindered" the political process.
He also criticised the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, for refusing to intervene.
The Sinn Fein minister urged Mr Trimble to defend the Belfast Agreement during the election campaign.
"People in our community will be looking to see if David Trimble as Ulster Unionist leader is going to come out fighting for the agreement or come out, as he has done in the past, with a strategy which goes both ways.
"The lesson for Mr Trimble from the South Antrim by-election last September is that that doesn't work. It handed the seat to the DUP. We want to see him embrace the Good Friday agreement, work for the Good Friday agreement, go out and bat for the Good Friday agreement."