The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, is expected to signal imminent agreement on North-South structures and the shape of the new Northern Ireland administration when he addresses the Oireachtas on Thursday.
Mr Seamus Mallon, the North's Deputy First Minister, appeared to confirm this, saying: "I would hope that by the end of this week, or possibly next, things would be much clearer. Yes, decisions will be made sooner rather than later."
Meanwhile, after a meeting with Mr Blair at Downing Street yesterday, the Orange Order condemned the "orchestrated campaign of demonisation" against it. The meeting was aimed at resolving the impasse over the Orangemen's protest at Drumcree.
Mr Blair, who arrives in Belfast tonight, will hope to build on the emerging unionist/nationalist consensus. He will have talks with Northern Ireland leaders, before travelling to Dublin tomorrow afternoon for an intensive two-day programme. Its highlight will be an historic first address to Oireachtas members by a British Prime Minister.
Mr Blair and his wife Cherie are due to arrive in Dublin Airport at 5.30 p.m., where they will be met by the Taoiseach. After visiting Aras an Uachtarain, the party will go to the King's Inns, where both Mr Ahern and Mr Blair are to be made honorary benchers. Then they will attend an official dinner at Dublin Castle.
On Thursday, Mr Blair will address a joint sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas at 10.30 a.m. Later he will join the Taoiseach in launching a North-South Internet project at a city school. The two men will then have a working lunch at Government Buildings before the Blairs return to London.
After the Blair meeting with Orangemen yesterday the secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge, Mr John McCrea, refused to answer questions about its content, insisting the delegation had to report to the Grand Master and the County Grand Masters first. He read a short statement which said they presented their views on Drumcree and "the wider situation pertaining to our culture and heritage".
The Garvaghy Road Resident's Coalition said that yesterday's Orange Order meeting with Mr Blair did not, in its view, signal any new initiative or shift in thinking in the Order.
"It should be quite apparent that the Orange Order is engaged in a publicity offensive designed to move the focus of attention away from the actions of its members and supporters in Portadown," a statement from the group said.
Since Friday November 13th, the Orange Order has intensified its protests at Drumcree on a nightly basis attempting on two occasions to reach the Garvaghy Road.
This Saturday will see yet another pro-Drumcree demonstration take place from Portadown town centre out to Drumcree.
The statement added that the Grand Lodge of Ireland had also applied for a major demonstration in Drumcree on December 19th.
Orangemen discuss `demonisation' of institution in meeting with Blair: page 8