The Taoiseach is to meet Mr David Trimble, Mr Gerry Adams and possibly Mr Tony Blair in the next 10 days in an effort to keep the North's political process alive until fresh talks begin in September.
Mr Trimble will travel to Dublin on Monday while Mr Adams will come to Government Buildings on Thursday, as the Irish and British governments work to create an environment for quick progress in autumn. Mr Ahern and Mr Blair may then meet on July 2nd.
The round of meetings comes in what the Taoiseach called yesterday a "difficult" and "dangerous" situation in Northern Ireland. There is growing concern that a political vacuum is emerging in the North following the postponement of Assembly elections due last month.
The governments are also monitoring efforts to reduce tension at potential inter-communal flashpoints in the North in advance of the imminent marching season.
The Taoiseach, who met the British Prime Minister Mr Blair on the margins of the EU summit in Greece yesterday, told a press conference that the Government did not believe the political situation could be allowed to drift without consequences.
The July 2nd meeting may set deadlines for the implementation of aspects of the joint declaration, published last month, concerning the criminal justice system, a bill of rights, the proposed international body to monitor the implementation of the agreement and other issues.
The Government hopes this will demonstrate that politics is still achieving results, paving the way for a quick start in September to discussions about creating the conditions for October Assembly elections.
There is little hope, however, that these conditions will involve agreement on "acts of completion" such as an IRA statement that all its paramilitary activities are ended and the disposal of its weapons.
It was failure to agree such a deal that led to the suspension of the Assembly elections last month.
"We have our hands in a lot of dykes at the moment", Mr Ahern said yesterday. He said he had met the loyalist commission - which contains paramilitary representatives - last week "to try and get through the marching season.
"It's difficult, it's dangerous . . . one incident at one interface and things can spin very quickly into major difficulties." He said it was hard to make political progress during this period "but we are adamant that we have to during these two months".
There is some hope in Government circles that Mr Trimble's victory over Mr Jeffrey Donaldson earlier this week will encourage Ulster Unionists to be more flexible.
However this is tempered by the concern that with the current Assembly mandate effectively over, the IRA will not agree to the acts of completion required of it until after fresh Assembly elections, whatever the outcome.