The Taoiseach met Northern Secretary Peter Hain in Cardiff today to discuss the upcoming election for a Northern Assembly.
The meeting follows confirmation from Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on January 30th that elections will be held on March 7th.
Mr Ahern said following the meeting the election "must be about the future of Northern Ireland and that future lies in a locally accountable, devolved, powersharing Assembly and Executive.
"This must be in place on 26th March. It is devolution or dissolution," he added.
"There is no future in basing a political strategy on trying to delay devolution passed the 26th March or trying to prevent it all together. Anyone who does will be left behind."
Mr Hain said the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists were under no illusions about the March 26th deadline for devolution at Stormont. "We are determined to ensure that everybody understands with crystal clarity that March 26 is the day for devolution, or dissolution will follow," he said. "There have been a few off-stage noises recently where some politicians appear to be oblivious to that fact or are in denial. "What has happened in the last week with Sinn-Fein's decision to get involved in policing at its special ard fheis last week, and the remarkable series of statements by Gerry Adams afterwards, urging people in republican communities to co-operate with the police and encouraging them to join means Sinn Fein are well on their way to delivering what their leadership promised to do. "That was to comply with policing and the rule of law. That leaves no excuses for unionists to balk at power-sharing during the election or after that."
Afterward today's talks Mr Ahern and Mr Hain will attended the Six Nations rugy international between Ireland and Wales at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.