A deal to dismantle the IRA and revive Northern Ireland 's power-sharing administration is taking shape, SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan claimed today.
But Mr Durkan accepted the process would be regarded as a failure if negotiations chaired by the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, break up without a settlement.
As he led his team back into Leeds Castle, in Kent, Mr Durkan indicated resistance from the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin to doing business was weakening.
He said: "I don't think we have the full combination code yet. But I think we are potentially getting to a click on some of the issues that we haven't concluded on before."
"People are running out of arguments they have had on a number of issues for holding back," he said. "This is a very new situation for the DUP, so people will have to wait and see what they make of it."
But the SDLP leader admitted the parties would be deemed inept if the talks proved fruitless. "People are getting very, very bored with this string-along process, where we just keep kicking the can in front of us before we have another rattle at it."
Mr David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionists, urged the IRA to make a new and detailed statement on weapons without delay. He said: "There have been rumours that the spokesman of that private army, one P O'Neill, may be about to say something. "In which case, the sooner we hear it and the clearer the message, the better.
"We need to know that there is now going to be complete decommissioning and the private army is going to be wound up."
Whether Mr Paisley's party was serious about sharing power would be put to the test as soon as the terrorists made the declaration demanded, Mr Trimble stressed.