Irish reaction: The results in the Westminster elections provide an opportunity for the governments and the political parties to "move beyond the current stalemate" in the peace process, the Taoiseach said last night.
"Now that the elections are over, it is time to definitively resolve the crisis of trust and confidence, to move beyond the current stalemate, and to get on with the vital project of fully implementing the Good Friday agreement," Bertie Ahern said in a statement.
"Both governments will continue to work in close partnership to bring all outstanding issues to successful finality.
"We are completely convinced that the only possible political way forward is through exclusively peaceful and democratic means, a commitment to inclusive politics on all sides, and the full implementation of the Good Friday agreement.
"In the course of the election campaign, and in response to the meeting last January with the Government, Sinn Féin has appealed to the IRA to commit itself to purely peaceful and democratic methods. I said at the time that this initiative had potential. We await a reply to this appeal. That reply must be clear. And it must be decisive.
"If the IRA is decisively removed from the equation we will be expecting unionists to commit to and practise partnership politics in Northern Ireland."
Mr Ahern paid tribute to John Hume and Seamus Mallon. "The Westminster election saw the end of an era with the retirement of John Hume and Seamus Mallon. Their service to the people of Ireland has been of truly historic proportions. They showed that politics can work, and we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude."
He said he had sent his congratulations to Mark Durkan and Dr Alasdair McDonnell on the SDLP's successes in Foyle and South Belfast.
Mr Ahern said he could "particularly appreciate" the disappointment of David Trimble and the UUP. "I hope, nonetheless, that he and the UUP will continue to play a full and active role at all levels of political life in Northern Ireland."
He also paid tribute to the outgoing Northern Secretary "I would also this evening wish to acknowledge the enormous contribution and dedication of Paul Murphy during his time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I wish him all the best for the future."
Responding to the election results, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said he believed "the IRA will eventually get off the pitch", and that the DUP might then do business with Sinn Féin and reach a deal.
Mr Ahern said "the increased mandate" for parties brings increased responsibilities.
"It is now time for parties that moved to the extremes for electoral purposes to move back towards the centre."
He said that since the Northern Bank robbery the Government had told Sinn Féin that it had to deal with the two remaining issues of paramilitarism and criminality.
"Gerry Adams responded with his appeal to the IRA. They must now heed the Taoiseach's call that the IRA must go away for ever, and get off the backs of nationalist Ireland once and for all."
He said the Government would not be "found wanting" on its contribution to political progress.
In response to Mr Adams's statement that he believed the DUP would do business with them, he said: "I believe that is possible. It something both governments want to see."
Asked when he thought there might be an IRA response to the appeal by Mr Adams for it to embrace exclusively political methods, he said he believes "the move has already been made".
"The IRA will eventually get off the pitch, and I hope the increased mandate for Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin is a movement in the direction of getting them off the pitch."