An independent commission to monitor paramilitary ceasefires was today urged to report a month earlier than planned because of concerns of IRA activity.
During talks at Stormont to revive the Northern Ireland Assembly, Secretary of State Mr Paul Murphy confirmed that the independent monitoring commission would be asked to report on ceasefires in May.
The move followed allegations that last Friday the provisional IRA attempted to abduct from a Belfast city centre bar, an alleged dissident republican.
After talks with the Democratic Unionists and Mr Murphy,the Minister of Foreign Mr Cowen insisted that dialogue was the only way to end paramilitarism.
Mr Cowen declared: "The best way of solving this problem is by engaging in the intensive kind of dialogue addressing the responsibilities of everyone who can influence this sort of situation and to come up with a result that will restore trust and confidence.
"If we don't do that we deny the right of the ordinary people in Northern Ireland to the governance mechanism to which they are entitled.
"That means facing up once and for all to end this scourge of paramilitarism in this society."
PA