The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, has warned Northern Ireland's parties that the Irish and British governments may have to take decisions above their heads if they cannot agree on how to restore the powersharing institutions.
He was speaking after Sinn Féin said that they would oppose any attempt to restore the Assembly in shadow form without any legislative powers, claiming that would pander to DUP demands.
Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator, Martin McGuinness, accused DUP leader Ian Paisley of being determined to destroy all the good work of the last 10 years in Northern Ireland.
Arriving for talks with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern this evening, Mr McGuinness said there were no signs that Mr Paisley was prepared to compromise.
If there was no progress by April he said the two governments should move to implementing the all-Ireland agenda reflected in the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr McGuinness accused Mr Paisley of a disgraceful and despicable attack on President Mary McAleese, which he said had been intended to end the dialogue between her husband and loyalists.
He said it was time to confront the DUP's obstructionism.
Today's meeting came ahead of discussions between Mr Ahern and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in London next week to finalise proposals for the proposed restoration of devolved government to Stormont.
Mr Ahern will also meet an SDLP delegation in Dublin tomorrow, while Sinn Féin leaders will meet Mr Blair in Downing Street.
