The Taoiseach yesterday expressed strong disapproval of the British decision to postpone the North's Assembly elections, while acknowledging that the IRA's statement on its future intentions contained "important ambiguity".
However, Mr Ahern urged the British government to go ahead and implement "an enormous amount" of the Joint Declaration in the short term, saying he would press Mr Blair on this at a meeting early next week.
The declaration, containing proposed reforms on policing, the reduction of the military presence, equality and the stability of the North's political institutions, did not die despite the lack of agreement, he said.
At a press conference yesterday after the election postponement was announced the Taoiseach said the election postponement "causes more problems than it solves The Assembly has done a full term and this is the time for an election. That is our view. We have endeavoured to convince the British government of our arguments. In the end they decided to go an alternative route. I have to accept that because I'm a democrat and they can make the decision. I disagree with them and I think it creates more problems than it solves, but that's where it's at."
Despite this disagreement, he said, "the strength and critical importance of the partnership between the two governments will endure". He said that he, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, and the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, would work over the weekend on what approach to take in their talks with Mr Blair next week. "While we are disappointed today we will dust ourselves off and get on with it next week."
The Government would be pressing its view that "an enormous amount of this document can be implemented in the short term. I would urge the British government to work to implement it in the short term. There are other aspects which perhaps cannot be introduced or cannot be implemented in the short term. They will continue to be the basis of our ongoing discussions. None of this work dies.
"Disappointed as we are today we look at this document in two parts. One part to be implemented forthwith - the quicker the better, that's the Irish Government's view. The second part to be the basis of ongoing work."
In relation to the proposed IRA statement and subsequent clarifications from Mr Gerry Adams, he said it remained ambiguous, and did not provide everyone with the clarity required. He called on the IRA to publish its proposed statement, saying that if this happened people would see why further clarification had been sought.
"It's not a game of semantics with the governments arbitrarily demanding certain words that the Republican Movement must use," he said, "though we have given suggestions, and they have given us suggestions many times. They would know exactly, precisely, the words we would like them to use."
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said that while he welcomed "the recent efforts of the Sinn Féin leadership to clarify outstanding matters", it was very disappointing "that the IRA has not made it clear that all paramilitary activities would end.
"I welcome the efforts made by all concerned over recent weeks to achieve finality and I am confident that, in the longer term, this work will bear fruit. I also welcome the publication of the Joint Declaration by both governments and their undertakings to implement elements of these as soon as possible."
The Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said that optimism that there would be a clear indication that paramilitary activity would end "was lost in weeks of apparent procrastination and lack of clarity by the republican movement about their future intentions".
He said that Sinn Féin was a key element of the peace process, and that it was "both sad and surprising that they have failed to convey, with the clarity that people throughout Ireland expect and are entitled to, the confidence that paramilitary activity is a thing of the past".
Sinn Féin's Dáil leader, Mr Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin, claimed the Government has "bowed to the unionist veto" and he called for a special Dáil debate and Question and Answer session next week.
Taoiseach's full statement: page 11