Former US president Bill Clinton has offered to intervene in the current deadlock that is threatening the Northern Ireland institutions.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny had a one-hour meeting with Mr Clinton this week during a short visit to New York.
The Taoiseach said that Mr Clinton told him he was "interested in helping in any way" that he could.
Mr Kenny said that Mr Clinton told him that he was quite concerned at the "fragility and the difficulty that the talks have entered at the moment".
Following the meeting in New York, the Taoiseach said that Mr Clinton had "expressed his continued interest in wanting to assist the process in Northern Ireland".
He said that he remained available "in any event that assistance were to be required or appropriate".
