It is now thought increasingly unlikely that there will be any breakthrough in the peace process over the Easter Holiday.
However, Irish and British Government officials are to remain available to pro-Good Friday Agreement parties over the weekend for any further contacts on the process.
Last night, the Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, told party members at a meeting in Newry that the latest IRA statement was clear and unambiguous.
Mr Adams said the statement contained highly significant and positive elements that were unparalleled in Republican history.
However although Mr Adams indicated last night that he was hopeful of a breakthrough, he was more downbeat today.
Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble, has said the peace process is being held up by a couple of hundred hoods.
In an interview with the BBC, Mr Trimble said Republicans had not delivered what was expected of them. Sinn Féin reject this.
He said the process was being stalled by people who did not want to give up their old ways and who still benefited from racketeering.
The UUP leader also said the British and Irish governments, and US president George Bush, should question the effectiveness of their efforts to break the deadlock.
