The IRA leadership appears to have held a meeting in central Dublin yesterday, to discuss its response to last week's political talks in the North.
However, there was no indication last evening that the organisation was preparing any moves towards decommissioning.
The meeting in hired rooms was understood to have been attended by figures from Northern Ireland, according to Garda sources. It is believed the meeting was called so the organisation's leadership could be briefed on last week's development's at Stormont.
Both governments have hoped the IRA would issue a positive statement about decommissioning. On a number of occasions in recent years the IRA has held similar meetings, although not at the same venue, and issued a statement in the next week's edition of the Sinn fein newspaper, Republican News. On at least three such occasions there were terse statements saying there would be no arms decommissioning.
There are still no clear signs the IRA leadership has changed its stance on decommissioning despite suggestions emanating mainly from British and Irish government sources at the end of last week.
Yesterday the Daily Telegraph published excerpts of what it said was an internal Sinn Fein document, which would seem to indicate the republican movement is not intent on decommissioning.
The document, said to have been drawn up by local party officials briefed by members of the Sinn Fein negotiating team at Stormont, read: "Sinn Fein will not be giving any commitments on decommissioning. If there is to be decommissioning, it will be up to the IRA and at present they have made it clear, i.e: there will be no decommissioning."
It said that if the whole political process in the North was to collapse the "Republican struggle will continue with a new strategy for the new situation".
This seems to contradict the Sinn Fein statement of July 1st which said: "We believe that all of us, as participants acting in good faith, could succeed in persuading those with arms to decommission them in accordance with he (Belfast) Agreement."
Under the agreement the IRA and other paramilitary groups are to fully decommission before May 22nd next year.
Last night the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said the Taoiseach should comment on the Daily Telegraph report. "I'm asking the Taoiseach to comment on his views of the validity of this, and how it compares with what he was told face-to-face by Sinn Fein".