Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble is to be briefed by the Irish government on the arms deadlock in what could be his last days in the job.

Mr Trimble will meet Taoiseach Bertie Ahern as efforts to save the peace process enter their final phase.

Legislation to re-impose direct rule on Northern Ireland is continuing apace in Westminster.

The bill to suspend the assembly is expected to complete its remaining stages on Thursday, with direct rule re-imposed on Friday.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson vowed to intensify his efforts to save the peace process following a meeting with Irish foreign minister, Brian Cowen.

Mr Mandelson said Dublin and London were now in "hour-to-hour" contact as Friday's deadline drew closer.

"We have a little time to go - we're not going to ease up now," Mr Mandelson said.

The 800-strong Ulster Unionist ruling council are to meet in Belfast on Saturday to debate the progress on the decommissioning issue.

Mr Mandelson appealed in a Commons debate on Wednesday for the IRA to respond "constructively" on decommissioning - saying such a move would not amount to surrender.

"Nobody is asking for surrender by the IRA. Nobody is asking for humiliation to be heaped on the IRA," he said.

"I just say that if politics is to work, and if we are to see the decommissioning that is an essential part of the peace process, then there must be certainty, there must be definiteness if confidence in all the institutions is going to be rebuilt."

He said there may be another report on decommissioning from General John de Chastelain before the end of the week.

In Belfast, Mr Adams repeated his warning that if the peace process collapsed, Sinn Fein would have to reflect on whether they wanted to be made "scapegoats" again.

"Nothing is ever over until the last card is played," said Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon. "And I don't believe the last card has been played."

The crisis came about after the first report from General de Chastelain's decommissioning body did not show enough progress towards IRA decommissioning to keep Ulster Unionists in the assembly.

The move to suspending the assembly is a bid to prevent Mr Trimble from resigning as first minister.

Mr Trimble told his party in November that he would quit the assembly if the IRA had not started decommissioning weapons by the end of January.