The Taoiseach has described today's talks with the British Prime Minister on the future of Northern Ireland as 'positive and focused.'
Bertie Ahern met Tony Blair in Farmleigh House in Dublin this afternoon.
Mr Ahern said progress on restoring Northern Ireland's political institutions must be made as soon as possible.
He said serious issues remained to be addressed and it was not the time for sitting back.
Mr Blair said 2006 would be a very decisive year for Northern Ireland.
Mr Ahern said he hoped the Independent Monitoring Commission would deliver a positive report on IRA criminality next week.
Referring to the IRA's pledge of 28 July to end its armed campaign, he said: 'I hope there is no obvious breaches of that period. Political institutions must be restored to deliver the peoples' wishes.'
He added: 'We have to focus on how we can get what the people voted for. The people, north and south, voted for an assembly, an executive and north-south bodies.'
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, and the Northern Secretary, Peter Hain, are to hold further talks on 6 February.
Unionist politicians remain sceptical about republican intentions. The DUP said last week it could not envisage devolved government with Sinn Féin in the foreseeable future.
Mr Blair followed the talks at Farmleigh with a meeting with the President, Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin.
