The talks in which the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister and the North's political leaders are trying to resolve the decommissioning impasse adjourned shortly before midnight at Hillsborough Castle last night. They will resume at Stormont this morning.
Speaking after last night's discussions ended, the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said that with the other parties and the two governments, Sinn Fein had been seeking to move the entire process forward.
He welcomed the involvement of Mr Blair and Mr Ahern in the final push to try and reach an agreement. He said he thought the fact there was a very tight focus could help to achieve progress.
"There should have been progress much, much before this, but unfortunately that hasn't happened. Now we need to make the progress that should have been made before."
Mr Trimble came out of the meeting with Mr Ahern and Mr Blair to speak to reporters briefly.
"Whether or not there is progress," he said, "depends on whether the paramilitary-related parties are going to face up to their obligations which they accepted a year ago in the Agreement to bring about total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations. We hope that even at this late hour, there will be some progress."
Mr Blair arrived at Hillsborough Castle by helicopter shortly before 7 p.m. Mr Ahern drove in at 7.40 p.m. He told reporters before the series of meetings started that while the political process was in difficulty, every effort would be made to safeguard the Belfast Agreement.
"We have come too far to go back now. If we were to go back on the hope and possibility of a peaceful future for the people of Northern Ireland, it would be the greatest betrayal of people I could think of. We are here to do whatever we can," he said.
Mr Ahern said before going into Hillsborough Castle that he was in Northern Ireland to do all he could to break the impasse. He and Mr Blair were determined to do everything in their power to resolve the problem. "I quite frankly don't know if we can or not. We will do our best," the Taoiseach added.
He said that up until now there were no signs of either the UUP or Sinn Fein moving from its fixed position to facilitate a resolution of the problem.
He and Mr Blair could facilitate movement but they could not ensure it.
"The two of us can assist people, but we can't negotiate for them. If people are prepared to move and prepared to be flexible, innovative and creative, then we can move," he said, "but if people are prepared to hold the line, then I think I would be going back to Dublin tomorrow night."
Mr Ahern welcomed the development which could lead to the discovery of the bodies of the disappeared. He said it could help the political process.
