Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers has played down speculation that the power-sharing administration at Stormont could collapse because of suspected IRA links to a recent murder in Belfast.
She said the PSNI should be allowed to continue with its investigation into the killings of Kevin McGuigan and Gerard 'Jock' Davison.
Ms Villiers also referred to the chief constable's assessment that there was no evidence to link the Provisional IRA's organisational structures or leadership to the crimes.
She added it is her assessment that all the parties in the Stormont Executive are committed to the principles of democracy and consent and it is important for them to continue to work together.
She confirmed she will be meeting representatives of the different parties this week and plans to have discussions with Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan in Dublin next week.
Earlier, Ms Villiers said the police's assessment that the Provisional IRA still exists did not come as a surprise to the British government.
Ms Villiers said she shared the view of the Chief Constable that some structures of the organisation remain in place but it is not engaged in terrorist activity.
The spotlight has been shone on the supposedly defunct paramilitary group since some of its members were linked by detectives to the murder of Mr McGuigan almost two weeks ago.
Asked at the weekend about the status of the PIRA given the suspected connection to the shooting of 53-year-old, PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton said it still exists, but is not on a terror footing.
Reacting to his view, Ms Villiers said: "It didn't come as a surprise to me.
"My understanding is, very much in line with that of the chief constable, that a number of the organisational structures of the Provisional IRA still exist but that there is no evidence it's involved in terrorism or paramilitary activity."
Meanwhile, Government ministers and Fianna Fáil have raised concerns about the assertion by Mr Hamilton that the Provisional IRA still exists.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said the killings of Mr Davison and of Mr McGuigan were wrong.
But he said those involved did not represent Republicanism, were not in the IRA, and that the IRA had gone away.
Yesterday, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said PIRA did not exist as a terrorist or as a military organisation.
Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly said Mr Adams needed to come out and say the IRA did not exist any more and not that it had gone away.
He said people needed to hear that the IRA was not involved in murder, in drugs and other criminal activity, and did not use a network to engage in such activities.
Minister for Jobs Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton described the PSNI statement as "very serious and worrying".
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he believes comments made by Mr Hamilton in relation to the existence of the IRA to be true.
Mr Martin called on representatives of the Irish and British governments to meet Northern Ireland's political leaders as a matter of urgency.
Sinn Féin MLA for north Belfast Gerry Kelly has reiterated that the IRA has gone away and is not coming back.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Kelly said based on the political evidence over the past ten years, the IRA has not been active and therefore does not exist in the circumstances that people are talking about.
He said he disagrees with comments made yesterday by the the PSNI Chief Constable that a network is still in operation.
"This labyrinth of organisations that claim the mantle of the IRA in all sorts of guises, they are people who are not involved in the peace process, who are anti-process."
