The Taoiseach expressed concern that a lack of progress in the peace process could lead to a political vacuum, which in turn could result in violence.

During Question Time Mr Ahern said that last year, "when things were going very well, everybody took off in an acrimonious state on December 12th and straightaway the political vacuum during the pre-Christmas period led to a very difficult situation on the streets - difficulties in Derry on the last march of the year, to the murder in the Maze prison of Billy Wright and to a terrible two or three weeks."

He was responding to the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, who said that there would be crises every so often even when all the bodies were set up and that "we should not become overly imbued with a sense of doom and gloom just because these current difficulties have arisen."

He added that they should be kept in proportion. "Of course there will be differences and difficulties from time to time, even when everything is in place. We must bear in mind that we are dealing with an area where there has been deep-seated division for 300 years and that this is not going to be resolved in three years."

He said that now there was a crisis, not in the peace process as much as in the political process, and the difference was a very important step forward. "We are not talking now about the threat of violence so much as the threat of political difference."

The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said that they had got themselves into a dangerous, if not farcical, situation.

"Giving out awards in Washington and Oslo is a bit like giving out the medals at half-time."

Mr Ahern said there had been no discussion in the past 24 hours, but there had been a number of statements early on which were now being analysed closely. He hoped they could make progress in the next few days but "I can't be in anyway certain about that."

His difficulty was that most of the main players were involved in other business and "it all looks as if any real negotiations this week are impossible . . .

"People have gone back to old positions to state analogies about the past which are incorrect and do not stand up. If there are efforts to hold ground it might be helpful if everybody, including myself, were to say nothing for the next few days until everybody is back."

Mr Bruton asked about the Taoiseach's view as to the impact of the motion in the House of Commons to create a linkage between the release of prisoners and decommissioning, and what effect that was having on the negotiating position of some of the parties. This was making a difficult situation even more difficult.

Mr Ahern said he did not have "a great deal of stomach for" having to deal with some of these aspects. But the reality was that it was the only way they could move forward.

To start entering preconditions now on the release of prisoners would be entirely unhelpful.