It has been confirmed that the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, will be accompanying the Government to Northern Ireland talks at Downing Street next Tuesday.
According to the Taoiseach's spokesperson, Commissioner Conroy and the North's Chief Constable, Huge Orde, will hold a briefing session on recent events including the Northern Bank robbery investigation.
The briefing will be attended by the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Justice and the Northern Secretary.
A second meeting will then be held by Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair to consider the current situation and the recent series of meetings with the North's political parties.
Blair tells Adams to sever crime links
Meanwhile, Mr Blair has warned Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams in the starkest terms that his party would be locked out of Northern Ireland devolution unless the IRA gave up crime and violence.
He said that such activity was incompatible with the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process.
Mr Blair delivered his message at hour-long talks with Mr Adams and his party's Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness at Chequers this morning.
The prime minister said he accepted fully the verdict of Mr Orde that the IRA had been responsible for the £26 million Northern Bank raid.
Mr Adams emerged from the meeting saying that both sides agreed that the peace process was in profound difficulties.
The assertion by Mr Orde that the IRA was behind that robbery wiped out any chance of a power-sharing deal for the foreseeable future.
While republicans have denied the claims, the two governments are determined to maintain contact with Sinn Féin to keep the process on the rails.
