The SDLP gave the Government its own proposals yesterday that it believes would lead to political progress, saying the recent strategy of concentrating solely on getting a deal between Sinn Féin and the DUP had failed.
The SDLP leader, Mr Mark Durkan, said yesterday that there had been "certain flaws in how the process has been conducted and managed" and said these should now be addressed. The process should now become "a process of equals.
"We surely now have come to the end of the line of a process of trying to manage the problems surrounding the agreement focusing exclusively on one or two parties."
Mr Durkan's remarks after his meeting with the Taoiseach and two Ministers yesterday reflect SDLP frustration at being sidelined in the political process for much of last year while the British and Irish governments sought to reach an agreement between the largest unionist and nationalist parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin.
His party would shortly send the Government more details of its proposals.
He said there were those who put forward "forms of exclusion" but the SDLP would not go along with this. DUP proposals before Christmas had opened the possibility of exclusion of some parties, he said.
"We underlined our determination to still see progress made consistent with the Good Friday agreement."
He said the Taoiseach had told the SDLP delegation that he would not be revising the clear view he had stated in relation to the Northern Bank raid.
"He made it very clear that those views are based on what Irish intelligence sources are telling him, and not just on what Hugh Orde has said.
"He also underlined to us his determination that this problem, and the serious concerns that it gives rise to, won't be used to derail the process. He, like ourselves, is committed to taking things forward."
He said drift and stalemate were not an option and that the two governments had to act, "and exercise good authority, and they can do that under the agreement using the British/Irish intergovernmental conference".
This body would meet next month, he said, and the Taoiseach had given them "certain commitments as to how the Government would approach that meeting".