The following is the full text of the Taoiseach's statement on yesterday's postponement of the Assembly elections.
Over the last six months, the two governments and the parties have made enormous progress in trying to bring to completion key outstanding issues in relation to the Good Friday agreement and a definitive and unambiguous end to all paramilitary activity.
We embarked on this task knowing that it was going to be difficult and that it might prove protracted. However, the goal of a Northern Ireland, functioning in the way intended by the Good Friday agreement, with stable, inclusive political institutions, and free from the paramilitarism and the threat of paramilitarism, gave a real focus and impetus to our work.
I would like to commend all the parties who have contributed to this work and who have contributed to the progress that has been achieved. Throughout this process the two governments have worked in partnership to try and drive the process forward and to ensure finality and clarity in our work. Today, we have to acknowledge that this phase of our efforts cannot be brought to the conclusion at this time.
I know that Prime Minister Blair has already announced that he has made a decision to postpone the elections that had been scheduled for May 29th.
I disagree with the British government on the postponement of these elections.
I reiterated this on several occasions recently, including in a conversation I had with the Prime Minister this morning.
Ultimately, I believe that yet another postponement causes more problems for the process than it solves.
While we do not agree or endorse this step, let me make it clear that the strength and critical importance of the partnership between the two governments will endure. This is something of enormous value to both governments.
It is obviously essential in overcoming the current difficulties.
The Prime Minister and I will meet together early next week to see how we take things from here.
In the meantime, we have decided to publish our Joint Declaration. This indicates very clearly the work that we have been engaged in for the last six months.
We will implement some aspects of the Joint Declaration where it is possible to do so. And we will use the basis of the Joint Declaration for the ongoing work of building trust and confidence over the coming months.
It is, thus, an active document with ongoing purpose.
When people have a chance to read it, they will see that it is a very serious initiative.
I regret that we did not manage to release it in the context that was intended and understood by all the parties. Vitally, this would have included a response from the IRA that there would be a definitive and unambiguous ending of all paramilitary activity.
Unfortunately this remains an issue finally to be resolved at this time.
I said on Monday that we were close to a solution. I believe that we were.
It is now almost three weeks [April 13th] since we received the IRA statement.
We were told that this was definitive and could not be amended.
However, there were several fundamental aspects of this statement that both governments felt had to be clarified.
I think that if the IRA were to publish this statement - and I believe strongly that they should - it would be clear why further clarification was necessary.
Unfortunately, a great deal of time elapsed while the process of clarification was underway.
Elections were also getting closer.
Overall the environment in which clarifications were being sought and eventually being given was deteriorating.
I regret that we did not have a clear and unambiguous IRA statement to begin with.
This would have solved everything.
Last Sunday's and yesterday's statements by Gerry Adams were helpful and brought matters to a new level of clarity. I genuinely appreciate his efforts in this respect.
In the end, however, it did not prove possible to have sufficient clarity to convince everyone that paramilitarism was definitively at an end.
This is an issue that must be resolved in a satisfactory way and in a way that everybody can understand.
If the significance of Gerry Adams's clarifications are obvious and clear to many in this country, they are not so clear to many others, including the unionists, who must be persuaded if we are to make progress together.
I do not believe that our overall efforts have been in vain. As we have done on many occasions since this process began, we will work, with determination through the difficulties.
We have achieved a lot. We must consolidate this and the work of the last months and weeks.
I am very conscious that many people in Northern Ireland, particularly within the nationalist community, will be deeply disappointed and frustrated by today's developments.
I would urge them and everyone to continue to constructively focus on the visions and ideals of the peace process and on the attainment of the key objectives of the Good Friday agreement.
The achievement of these aims remain the major priority of this Government.