The Rev Ian Paisley emerged from his latest meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, yesterday declaring the British and Irish governments were obliged to secure photographic evidence of any future IRA decommissioning.
At the same time the DUP leader appeared to confirm that serious negotiations to restore Northern Ireland's power-sharing government are still in play, indicating that he expects to hold longer and more detailed discussions with Mr Blair in Downing Street next week.
Downing Street confirmed that Mr Blair and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, intended "to have one more go" at securing an agreement between the DUP and Sinn Féin.
Rejecting suggestions that he might be an acceptable "witness" to any IRA decommissioning, Dr Paisley told reporters: "No, no. The man in the street is with me in saying 'seeing is believing'. He must see it, and see it he will, by the grace of God."
Declaring himself confident that the two prime ministers remained committed to photographic evidence of decommissioning as part of any deal, Dr Paisley said: "The way forward is for the governments to keep their obligation to us. They put in their paper that there would have to be photographs and they have got to stand over that."
However, as Dr Paisley awaited "clarification" of the Taoiseach's position in today's Dáil debate, there were question marks over the British government's disposition.
Asked if Mr Blair considered himself "obliged" to Dr Paisley on the question of photographs, a Downing Street spokesman said: "We accept we put it out there as a fair compromise. We also have to deal with the reality that as it stands the IRA has rejected it."
At the same time Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy said he and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, would today be exploring with the parties whether "there are any other areas we can address that will allow that transparency to be sufficient to get the (public) confidence that's necessary".