Republicans could conclude a deal with the British government on "acts of completion" without an Ulster Unionist commitment to return to power-sharing ahead of fresh Assembly elections in May.This possibility emerged last night as the British and Irish governments announced they were "upping gear" to help speed negotiations about a package of reciprocal acts promising the cessation of paramilitary activities and the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
Following Downing Street talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said they had charted "a work programme" for the negotiations, which will resume in Belfast next week.
The Taoiseach's promise to "give it everything we've got" coincided with a renewed assurance from the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, that he has no plans to postpone elections scheduled for May 1st.
Mr Murphy's latest signal that London is disposed to hold the elections came when he was asked if he would consider postponement if that was considered necessary to help sell any deal. Downing Street sources later insisted questions about the election were irrelevant, since the purpose of the negotiation was to complete the agreement and enable the prior restoration of the suspended Stormont Assembly.
Mr Ahern, likewise, said this was what all sides wished to see.
Mr Blair was fully briefed on the state of Ulster Unionist opinion following his mid-morning meeting with the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble.
Insisting that any deal must be "even more unequivocal" because of the proximity of the election, Mr Trimble emerged from the Irish Embassy declaring it had to be "all duck or no dinner" and that there was "no saleable deal" yet on the table.
Some senior republicans seem increasingly to accept it may not be possible for Mr Trimble to resume his place in the Executive ahead of an election, and that any such commitment might not survive it anyway.
And there are indications that some in the Sinn Féin leadership might favour unilateral action by republicans, to be determined in the context of their own sense of ownership of the peace process and the steps necessary to ensure the implementation of all other aspects of the agreement.
However, The Irish Times has been told this possibility would be "entirely conditional on what the two governments come up with" on issues ranging from British demilitarisation, through the equality and human rights agenda, to the accountability of policing and the proposed devolution of policing and justice powers.
In London last night, the Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams said: "All the possibilities and potential for possible resolution of this situation are dependent on the two governments fulfilling their obligations and coming forward with a plan which would see an act of completion for the Good Friday Agreement."