The Irish and British governments could begin a review of the Belfast Agreement at the end of the month, it emerged tonight.
January 29th is being considered the likely date for the start of the review which will involve all the Northern Ireland Assembly parties, including the Reverend Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin, sources in Belfast revealed.
One said: "This appears to be the date when it will take place although it is not set in stone."
It is understood the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, disclosed the target date during talks with the cross-community Alliance Party in Dublin today.
The party published its proposals for the review of the Belfast Agreement yesterday.
It called for a change to the way devolved governments are established in the
North, with a voluntary coalition similar to the ones operating in Scotland and Wales accountable to the Assembly instead of the inclusive power-sharing executive involving unionist and nationalist parties.
It also called for the Northern Ireland Assembly to be reduced in size from 108 to around 80 MLAs, a review of the number of government departments and their powers and the scrapping of 50:50 police recruitment quotas for Catholics and Protestants.