Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams said he hoped tonight's talks in Belfast with the British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair, marked a new push to resolve the difficulties in the peace process, claiming the deal on arms and demilitarisation made last year was "in tatters".
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Mr Tony Blair
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Mr Adams, who was accompanied by Stormont education minister Mr Martin McGuinness, said they were at Hillsborough to make the process work.
Mr Adams said: "We are glad that the British prime minister is here.
"We hope that it is part of a process which will be successful. I have to say that unless Mr Blair gets himself politically focused in the way that he has been at different times in this process, then the possibilities are quite limited.
"But let the people out there listening or reading be assured that the Sinn Fein leadership remain totally committed to it and totally committed to making it work. We can't do it on our own. We are here tonight to try and work with others to make it happen."
Government officials have travelled to Northern Ireland for talks on the peace process. A Government spokeswoman said the officials will keep the Taoiseach briefed on developments. However she said Mr Ahern is not expected to go to Belfast at this time.
Emerging from talks with Mr Blair, Mr David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party described the Prime Minister's mood as buoyant.
"I think it's too early to say progress is being made. What I witnessed was a determination.
"It seems to me there's going to be a significant push. It is no accident that the Prime Minister is here. We were buoyed by the atmosphere and the dialogue we had with him."
Earlier Mr Blair's spokesman said the British Prime Minister had been working closely with US President Bill Clinton and his aides in an attempt to achieve a breakthrough over thorny issues including decommissioning and reform of the police force.
"Time is getting short," the spokesman told reporters. "There is a window of opportunity and we need to see if we can make some progress."
But he cautioned that there was not "massive expectation" of a breakthrough.
Additional reporting PA/Reuters
