Hopes appeared to be fading tonight that Northern Ireland could have a workable power sharing executive if an Assembly election is held next month.
As negotiations to restore devolution and secure a significant move from the IRA became fractious, the Taoiseach Mr Ahern told the Dáil there was still not "the basis of an agreement".
"We have not as yet got to a position where we have the basis of an agreement where we can say that we can move into elections positively.
"The difficulty is if we don't approve this in the next period of time we could get into an election situation that would just lead to no progress and everybody fighting the elections on a negative position.
"The chances if that happens of finding a workable executive ... and to then move forward a programme for government in a positive frame of mind would be in my view, and in the view of Prime Minister Blair, and all the other people involved on the Pro-Agreement side, would be a total mess."
And after a meeting with Mr David Trimble at Stormont, Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams also gave a downbeat assessment, claiming unionists and the British and Irish Governments were "setting the bar too high" for republicans.
Both governments, Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionists have in recent weeks been trying to secure an agreement which could revive devolution.
The Northern Ireland Assembly and power sharing executive was suspended 12 months ago over allegations that the IRA was operating a spy ring while Sinn Féin was in government.
PA