The British government is holding fresh talks with political parties in Northern Ireland today as part of a major push to restore devolution.
Northern Secretary Mr Paul Murphy has met Sinn Féin President Mr Gerry Adams and SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan at Hillsborough today.
The discussions come amid claims that the bid to revive the Northern Assembly has only two weeks to succeed.
With speculation growing that the IRA is set to declare an end to its war in an attempt to rescue the peace process, the talks have entered a critical phase.
Both republicans and the British government confirmed a deal must be hammered out soon if new Assembly elections are to be held in mid November.
Mr Adams and Ulster Unionist Party leader Mr David Trimble have met in an attempt to secure an agreement. Republicans want assurances unionists will no longer be able to pull down the power-sharing institutions.
Further moves to scale down the British Army's presence in Northern Ireland and extra policing reforms are also at the heart of their demands.
But with Mr Trimble under intense pressure from hardliners in his party over claims the IRA is continuing its military campaign, unionists have demanded cast-iron assurances the IRA will go out of business for good.
With November 13th pencilled in as a possible date for elections, Mr Trimble would have to call a special meeting of his party's ruling council in good time to ratify any plans to return to government with Sinn Féin.
Any such gathering has to be flagged up in advance, leaving all sides aware of the short window of opportunity to restore devolution this year.
British government sources cautioned that a deal was still a long way off. One official warned: "If it's [a deal] not done in the first half of October it's not going to be done in time for Christmas."
PA