Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has urged Northern Ireland's political parties not to walk away from a power-sharing deal before the November 24th deadline.
Speaking after a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Chequers outside London this morning to finalise arrangements for next month's North talks, Mr Ahern called on the North's parties to seize the opportunity for devolution
With only ten weeks to go, Mr Ahern told elected politicians they had a mandate to govern and would be acting against British legislation if they didn't deliver.
Mr Blair warned it would be "difficult" to reinstate the North's institutions if the November 24th deadline was passed without resolution. Mr Blair's spokesman said the two leaders had reviewed "what was the calmest most trouble-free summer since before 1970".
Mr Ahern said details were being finalised on holding round-table talks with the parties in Scotland early next month. He said of the meeting with Mr Blair: "We were working out how we will use the period ahead. That will include engagement with the parties, including some intensive engagement with them which will be finalised in the next few days."
Mr Ahern rejected suggestions that deadlines missed in the peace process before had been wasted opportunities. "I think the important thing is that this has been an extraordinarily and thankfully, a peaceful year in Northern Ireland. Every time we're building on our success. While the parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein, aren't dealing directly with each other, they are on the committee for the Preparation for Government where a lot of good work is taking place," he said.
"We would like to see direct engagement. A lot of the barriers and the issues that divided us in 2004 have been removed. There are substantive issues but even those are being progressed along the way.
"There aren't too many places in the world during history where people elected with the mandate and responsibility to govern would walk away from that, and that is what is facing the parties.
"We set down that date at the beginning of April and I would remind people that it is set down in British legislation, so I hope there is nobody who is going to ignore what is set down in British legislation," he added.
DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley said after talks with Mr Blair on Wednesday that chances of meeting the deadline were slim and dismissed the proposed talks in Scotland as a waste of money.
Earlier this week, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain and warned that 2006 may be the final chance for the parties to achieve power-sharing until after British General Election in 2009 and beyond.