The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he believes the parties in the North are 'up for' a deal.
However, Mr Ahern said the refusal by Dr Ian Paisley’s DUP to talk to Sinn Féin is causing difficulty.
But Mr Ahern added that he did think that the DUP were prepared to work towards a consensus, and that they are 'quite advanced' on where he perceived them to be in the past.
