The Sinn Féin leader, Mr Gerry Adams, has indicated that direct talks with the Rev Ian Paisley could assist attempts to end the current deadlock over photographic verification of IRA decommissioning.
He appealed to the DUP leader to deal directly with him as the British and Irish governments prepare for a series of meetings next week to try to find a compromise around the issue of visual proof of IRA disarmament.
While Mr Adams's overture was rejected by Mr Ian Paisley jnr on behalf of his father, the Sinn Féin president insisted such a meeting would allow the DUP and Sinn Féin to address the remaining issues to be resolved.
"I am appealing to Ian Paisley, as the mandated leader of unionism, to come to meet and talk to me about all of those issues," Mr Adams said yesterday after the release of an IRA statement, which said the issue of photographs was "never possible".
Mr Adams did not directly say a face-to-face encounter with Dr Paisley would resolve the photographs issue, but insisted that the current obstacles could be overcome.
"Let Ian Paisley say that he will talk to me, and then let Ian Paisley talk to me about whatever he wants to talk to me about.
"But let's send a very, very clear signal to the people of this island that this moment is not lost, that it can be sorted out, and let Ian Paisley say that he is prepared to come along and help to sort it out," Mr Adams said.
The IRA in its statement said that in the context of a comprehensive agreement, it would "completely and verifiably" put all its arms beyond use, possibly by the end of December; its members would be given instructions not to engage in activity that might endanger the deal; and two clergymen could act as observers of decommissioning with the decommissioning chief, Gen John de Chastelain.
The statement said Dr Paisley had reduced the IRA commitment to disarm "to an act of humiliation" by his demand for photographs of the event.
Mr Adams described the IRA statement as "a mighty declaration for peace" which "should not be dismissed because of difficulties that some people may have".
However, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Ahern, challenged the IRA's and Sinn Féin's assertion that there was never a possibility of republicans agreeing to photographic proof of decommissioning.
"The refusal of photographs wasn't as explicit as is being indicated, in my view," he told RTÉ yesterday.
"It was always part of the discussions that photographs may be necessary in order to convince the DUP to bring them over the line."
The DUP MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson said it was clear from the IRA's reference to no photographs that it was "not prepared to have proper transparent decommissioning".
