A delegation from the SDLP, led by party leader Mark Durcan, has met the Taoiseach at Government Buildings ahead of next week's talks at Leeds Castle in England.
Going into the meeting, Mr Durcan was downbeat about the prospects of a breakthrough in the Northern Ireland peace talks next week.
He was particularly critical of the stance being adopted by the Democratic Unionists Party who he claims are trying to renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement.
Earlier, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams also gave a pessimistic assessment of the prospects of a breakthrough in the talks.
Mr Adams said he was not very hopeful of a deal being struck given the soundings from the DUP.
He said the DUP is saying that even if the IRA were to go away, it would still not sit down with Sinn Féin for at least a year.
Mr Adams, Sinn Féin's Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness, and MLA Gerry Kelly met the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, at Government Buildings earlier today.
