Michael McDowell, Breakthrough needed today
In the North, the Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, has been delivering the keynote speech at a meeting to launch the Party's Assembly candidates for the Newry and Armagh constituency.
Mr Adams said that Sinn Féin is in this process to the end. He said he wanted the British and Irish governments and the Unionists to work with Sinn Féin and to finish the work they have all started.
Earlier, the Minister for Justice warned that progress is necessary within hours or attempts to rescue the process would have to be shelved.
Michael McDowell said that if that happened, the likelihood was that the Assembly elections next month would still go ahead.
However, he warned that it would be much better if they were held in the context of the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
The former chairman of the peace process George Mitchell said he believed the parties could still work through their current difficulties.
He reminded Republicans of their obligation to commit to exclusively peaceful means.
Difficulties centre on finding a formula to show that all sides of the Republican movement are unambiguously committed to exclusively peaceful means.
Speaking in Athens last night, the Taoiseach appealed to the parties to give the governments more time to achieve a settlement.
Bertie Ahern also warned that work on the process might collapse for the next few months, if agreement could not be reached at this stage.
In a statement issued last night, the IRA said it had demonstrated its commitment to creating a just and lasting peace.
