OFFICIALS from 10 Downing Street and the Department of the Taoiseach are involved in the ongoing attempts to redefine the terms required of a second IRA ceasefire and conditions for Sinn Fein's entry to multi party talks.
This was confirmed last night, as the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, again defined the end of the conflict as the core objective of Irish Government policy in the North.
While insisting Sinn Fein did not have a veto over the talks process, Mr Spring said "ultimate accommodation" in the North was unlikely without the party's participation. And he repeated the Government's desire for "early entry for Sinn Fein to the talks" following an "unequivocal restoration of the ceasefire".
Mr Spring's remarks put him on a collision course with Mr David Trimble, the Ulster Unionist leader who has been pressing London and Dublin to proceed without Sinn Fein. And Mr Spring raised the stakes, suggesting Mr John Major would be prepared to forfeit unionist Commons support in the quest for a North solution.
At a press briefing at the Irish Embassy in London, Mr Spring said: "I would have to say that if the choice for Mr Major is to solve the Northern Ireland crisis as opposed to depending on Mr Trimble's support, I think Mr Major is big enough to go for the solution to Northern Ireland's problems."
Mr Spring made his comments as Mr Trimble prepared for more private talks with Mr Major, and as British and Irish officials continued the search for a formula which, might secure a second IRA cessation.
The Tanaiste said people should not underestimate the difficulties for the British government and the unionist parties caused by the collapse of the ceasefire. He accepted that the Government had an obligation to those who support constitutional politicians, to see if we can bring about an accommodation". And he said he had "no difficulty in seeking to have a momentum" in the multi party talks at Stormont.
But Mr Spring noted the failure of previous attempts to reach agreement between the constitutional parties and the two governments. "We are doing everything we can and have been since the breakdown of the ceasefire. It's a political imperative that we have the restoration of the ceasefire, that we have inclusive all party talks. If we're going to have the ultimate accommodation it's going to require all parties sitting around the table with both governments."
Mr Spring also said it was "a fact of life that Sinn Fein got 17 per cent of the vote in the most recent election . . . I think if you want an accommodation that has the broadest possible support, that 17 per cent should be reflected in the negotiations that lead to that accommodation."
The Tanaiste said he had no indication "whether or not a ceasefire is likely". Sources said, however, the principals involved in the negotiations appeared confident they could do business with both the British government and the republicans.
One source suggested the restoration of the ceasefire would be a bonus for Mr Major in the run up to the general election. However British sources said demands from Mr John Hume and Mr Gerry Adams that talks be time limited were "impractical". And it was confirmed there was no agreement yet on the political consequences of any second cessation.
Dublin is pressing for Sinn Fein's admission to an opening plenary session of the Stormont talks, to be followed by a period of intensive bilateral talks before the commencement of the substantive three stranded negotiations. It is understood London has been holding out for a period of bilaterals prior to Sinn Fein's admission to the talks process.
However it is suggested by British, unionist and Irish sources - that these logistical issues would be swiftly dealt with if any second ceasefire was defined in stronger and less ambiguous terms than the 1994 cessation. And, in the midst of mounting speculation and hype, a number of authoritative sources remain highly sceptical about the ability of either Mr Major or the republican movement to deliver.
Irish and unionist sources agreed that the terms of the expected fresh statement of the British position would be crucial to the future of the Stormont talks.
While there is a chance the Prime Minister could make a significant statement during Monday's Guildhall speech, the expectation remains that the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, could present the statement to the Stormont talks - or in a newspaper article.