The Northern Secretary, Peter Hain, has said he hopes the resumption of devolved government in Northern Ireland will be achieved while Tony Blair is British Prime Minister.
Mr Hain said he was not sure that any future British prime minister would show what he described as Mr Blair's forensic attention to detail in attempting to solve the Northern Ireland problem.
He was speaking in Dundalk, Co Louth, where he held talks with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern.
Mr Hain said Mr Blair and the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, were the twin architects of the dramatic changes that have taken place on the island of Ireland during the past decade.
The Irish and British governments have set a 24 November deadline for the establishment of a power-sharing administration at Stormont.
