Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble today warned the Dublin Government against pursuing a greater role in the affairs of Northern Ireland after the suspension of the power-sharing executive.
Mr Trimble was speaking after sources confirmed the Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid would formally suspend the institutions in a statement at 10 a.m. on Monday morning.
The North's First Minister dismissed as "utterly wrong", suggestions that a joint Dublin-London authority, operating through the Anglo-Irish Conference, might assume of the role of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
"This whole Agreement is based on the notion of consent and if any attempt is made by elements in the Irish Government to undermine that principle then they will do enormous damage not just to the agreement and the political process but to the prospect of good relations developing," he said.
Mr Trimble warned the Government that it would sacrifice the goodwill shown to it from unionism if it endeavours to take advantage of the situation arising out of the present crisis.
Earlier the UUP leader had a 75-minute meeting with the Taoiseach in Government Buildings in Dublin.
Mr Trimble is understood to have outlined his view that suspension of the Assembly was not the right way to respond to allegations of republican intelligence gathering made in the wake of a police raid on Sinn Féin's parliamentary offices last week.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Trimble said suspension was "very much a second-best option".
He said moves towards suspension of the Assembly, which appeared to be the favoured course of both the British and Irish governments was "wrong as a matter of principle."
"We would prefer to see the right approach adopted and the consequences of this criminality be visited on those responsible for it."
He said: "It [suspension] does not sort out the problem, which is continued paramilitary activity. The basic fact remains that four-and-a-half years into a transition, that which should have been done - that which the agreement provided for within two years - has not been done".
Meanwhile the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Sinn Féin leader Mr GerryAdams discussed the crisis in the peace process in a telephone conversation today.
Afterwards, Mr Adams said he had been given an assurance that the Government was determined to press ahead with all the outstanding elements of the Belfast agreement.
The leader of the SDLP, Mr Mark Durkan, tonight hit back at Mr Trimble for warning the Government about an expanded role for the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference.The Deputy First Minister, said: "In my meetings with the two governments this week, I urged them to convene the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference and to work more closely and deeply together than ever before.
"Both Governments agreed with me that this should happen.
"David Trimble is now complaining about the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference. He doesn't want it to happen. He says that is contrary to the Agreement.
"The truth is that the Agreement is very clear on this."The conference was set up by the Agreement and it is to deal with everything that is not devolved. So if there is no devolution, then it can deal with everything."
