NI devolution deal 'now or never'

Ian Paisley met Mr Blair in Downing Street

A deal to restore devolution to Northern Ireland is "now or never", DUP leader Ian Paisley has told the IRA.

The issue of IRA arms decommissioning remained a stumbling block to the restoration of power-sharing, he said.

Mr Paisley met the prime minister on Tuesday to discuss his party's response to British-Irish proposals designed to break the political impasse.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams met Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin.

Tuesday's meetings form part of intense talks aimed at reviving devolved government in Northern Ireland.

Its political institutions have been suspended since October 2002 amid claims of IRA intelligence-gathering at the Northern Ireland Office.

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All negotiations are being conducted through a series of British and Irish government intermediaries because the DUP refuses to hold face-to-face talks with Sinn Fein.

Mr Paisley arrived in Downing Street just before 1000 GMT to meet Mr Blair in a bid to resolve concerns about future IRA disarmament.

Afterwards, Mr Paisley said the people of Northern Ireland must be convinced that the IRA had put its arms beyond use.

He said: "It's now or never. You must have done with your arms. You must put them away."

Mr Paisley also said: "I think if we get there, we are there. And I think seeing is believing."

This last comment is understood to relate to the DUP's demand for photographic evidence of decommissioning which they have said is an essential part of any deal.

Mr Adams said Sinn Fein remained committed to reaching agreement

Mr Paisley told reporters outside Downing Street that he would be honoured to be first minister of a "quiet" province, but he admitted that he would find power-sharing with Sinn Fein very difficult.

He repeated a call made over the weekend for the IRA to "wear sackcloth and ashes" and repent for its actions.

It is understood Mr Paisley expects to meet Mr Blair again later in the week.

Before his meeting with Mr Ahern, the Sinn Fein president said that Mr Paisley's comments were "offensive".

After meeting Mr Ahern, the Sinn Fein leadership said it was worried the prospect of cutting a deal was "being dragged out".

Mr Adams said: "We are concerned that the time frame is stretching. We want to see all this done very, very quickly."

He said Sinn Fein remained committed to reaching agreement and was not delaying the process.

"The deal could be done today if there was political will. We don't even contemplate failure at this point," said Mr Adams.

Meanwhile, following his party's meeting with Mr Blair in Downing Street, SDLP leader Mark Durkan refused to be drawn on how close a deal was.