Sinn Féin chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin has said it is time for the DUP to "respect Sinn Féin's mandate" and to concentrate on agreeing a package that will quickly see the political institutions re-established.
He was responding to an article by the DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson in today's Irish Times, in which Mr Robinson gave a clear assurance his party is willing to work with Sinn Féin in an executive that has devolved control of policing and justice.
"The issues which need to be addressed as part of a comprehensive package have been identified. Nationalists and republicans acknowledge that there are issues of concern for unionists," Mr McLaughlin said.
"If the DUP accept that the range of issues which are of concern to nationalists and republicans, must be dealt with, including the core issue of transfer of policing and justice powers away from London, then our collective responsibility is to move quickly to resolve these issues. This is a huge challenge but it has to be faced up at some point."
He added: "The DUP need to act on the reality that Sinn Féin represents the majority of nationalist opinion. The DUP need to respect Sinn Féin's mandate and concentrate on the job of agreeing a package which will quickly see the political institutions re-established and all of other outstanding issues resolved without further delay."
Mr Robinson said in his article that the DUP requires "the certainty" that Sinn Féin is employing "exclusively peaceful and democratic means".
He argues that the mutual suspicion between the two parties need not be a barrier to them working together in a devolved executive.