Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, who met Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward in Dublin tonight, has said the devolution of policing and justice would send a clear message to dissidents.
Mr Martin referred to the targeting of PSNI officer Constable Peadar Heffron (33), PSNI officer by dissident republican bombers last week as “despicable”.
Moving forward on the key issues of policing and justice would show dissidents there was nowhere for them to go, he said.
Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward said British prime minister Gordon Brown would meet Taoiseach Brian Cowen in Downing Street on Thursday.
Mr Woodward said the events which led to DUP leader Peter Robinson standing down as the North’s First Minister temporarily on Monday had “spurred huge public turbulence”.
Mr Woodward, who arrived in Dublin at about 8.30pm, said he hoped Mr Robinson and his wife Iris could resolve their family difficulties.
“What may be interesting to the public may not be in the public interest,” he said.
Mr Martin said he wanted to welcome the DUP’s Minister for Enterprise Arlene Foster, who was appointed as acting First Minister for a maximum period of six weeks.
She was already recognised as a “capable and constructive” Minister, Mr Martin said,
Mr Martin said he was encouraged that there was renewed engagement in recent days and stressed that the two Governments stood ready to assist the Northern parties in any way that they could.
Mr Robinson has said he intends to use the six weeks to achieve political stability through reaching a deal on policing and justice with Sinn Féin.
Dublin and London have been concerned that any further delay in the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont could end with the collapse of the powersharing executive.
Mr and Mrs Robinson are to be investigated by the Assembly’s committee on standards and privileges after Mrs Robinson admitted she secured £50,000 from two wealthy developers to help her lover set up a restaurant business on the banks of the river Lagan in south Belfast.
She too is under investigation after failing to declare her interest.
The two governments believe the scandal must be set to one side as they attempt to make sure the troubled political process stays on track.
Mr Robinson has said he is confident he can clear his name by answering
allegations that he breached parliamentary rules by not reporting loans which his wife procured from two businessmen.Ministerial colleague Arlene Foster has taken over his day-to-day duties for the next six weeks.
Speaking on RTÉ radio this morning, Ms Foster said she had held what she called "a constructive" meeting with Sinn Féin on the issue of devolution of policing and justice last night and would meet with the party again today.
She also said she intended to meet with both the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Alliance Party as early as possible.
Ms Foster said the DUP remained committed to devolution of policing and justice powers and while she refused to say whether she trusted Sinn Féin, said she would work with the party "for the good of the people of Northern Ireland."
The Northern Ireland enterprise minister also refused to say whether she would consider becoming First Minister on a permanent basis should Mr Robinson not be able to answer allegations against him and his wife.
With a UK general election just months away, prime minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen believe time is running out, and there are serious doubts a deal can be hammered out because of opposition by hardliners within Mr Robinson’s party.
This morning Mr Woodward told BBC: “There has been an extraordinary turn of events in the last week in Northern Ireland - a very difficult turn of events, particularly for the Robinson family.
“That being said, out of all this there is a very real opportunity to make very substantial progress.
“My sense is - and I am a realist about this - that there are many politicians, particularly over the last 24 hours, who have actually faced over the precipice, seen the consequences of not fully engaging and are now really engaging with the issues.”
