The Taoiseach has said next few days will be of crucial importance for the democratic life of Northern Ireland. Mr Ahern was speaking at the annual Wolfe Tone commemoration ceremony in Bodenstown, Co Kildare.
Mr Ahern said he hoped the body set up to scrutinise paramilitary ceasefires anddemilitarisation in Northern Ireland would up and running by the end ofNovember.
Mr Ahern said: "We have always said that we want elections to takeplace. We did not agree to their postponement earlier this year.
"The coming days will be of crucial importance for the democratic life ofNorthern Ireland."
Divisions could only be bridged if all political groups worked together.
Striking a note of caution however, he warned: "We have been here before and close before," he said. "Nobody shouldunderestimate the scale of the challenge or its enormous importance. Buildingtrust is essential.
"We therefore welcome the direct and intensive engagement between the UUP andSinn Féin in recent weeks.
"We hope that this will be fruitful and that it will prove possible to turn afurther decisive page in the long history of our island."
The Ulster Unionists and Sinn Féin have met several times in recent weeks asefforts have been stepped up to set a date for Assembly elections. Parties arehopeful they will take place in the final week of November.
Speculation is mounting that, if a deal is struck between unionists andrepublicans, Mr Ahern and Tony Blair will fly to Northern Ireland next week tomark the event.
Today Mr Ahern warned that trust among parties was "not the same asconfidence" - and spoke of the role the Independent Monitoring Commission willplay in the future.
He said: "It is our intention that the Commission be in a position to go liveby the end of November.
"It will report on the fulfilment of any commitments on the cessation ofparamilitary activity and security normalisation.
"The Commission can furthermore recommend remedial action if they concludethat a party is in breach of its commitments, for example on the pledge ofoffice."
The body, part of the Irish and British governments' blueprint for restoringdevolution to the province, will gather information from the public as part ofits six-monthly assessments of terrorist activities and scaling down ofsecurity.
Currently in shadow form, the commission will be formally constituted when thegovernments give effect to a new International Agreement.
PA