The Taoiseach has held talks with Northern Ireland's First and Deputy First Ministers in Edinburgh today.
Brian Cowen said he is confident that scheduled meetings of the Northern Ireland Executive and of the North-South Ministerial Council will go ahead next week as planned.
The meetings had been in doubt due to an ongoing dispute between Sinn Féin and the DUP.
The attendance of Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness at this meeting of the British-Irish Council had been in some doubt.
Sinn Féin and the DUP remain in dispute over the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont.
However in a positive move, Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness arrived in the same car for today's meeting.
The dispute has seen Sinn Féin ministers refuse to attend meetings of the Executive, which has not met for three months.
Deputy First Minister McGuinness said his working relationship with Mr Robinson remained good.
However, the First Minister said it would be difficult for Sinn Féin to explain why they can sit around the table in Edinburgh but not in Northern Ireland.
But Mr Robinson has said he is ready to do business and he hopes the Stormont Executive will meet next Thursday.
He was speaking tonight at a party function in Lisnaskea in Co Fermanagh.
The British-Irish council was set up under the Good Friday Agreement to facilitate East-West ministerial links.
Today's session was hosted by Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond.
The Taoiseach had arrived at the meeting on an overnight flight from New York, where he attended a summit at UN headquarters.
