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Mr David Trimble
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Ministers of the Ulster Unionist Party have tendered their resignation from the Northern Ireland Executive in protest at the lack of decommissioning.
The resignations will take effect from midnight tonight.
"The time for negotiations was a long time ago. There are no discussion. There are no negotiations", UUP leader Mr David Trimble told a press conference in Belfast.
Letters of resignation for the acting first minister Sir Reg Empey, arts minister Mr Michael McGimpsey and environment minister Mr Sam Foster were lodged with the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Mr Trimble said if the IRA began "the process of actual decommissioning in a meaningful and verifiable manner our ministers can be re-appointed immediately".
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He laid the blame for the resignations on the IRA's failure to disarm.
He insisted his party had sustained the power-sharing executive at Stormont for 18 months without any action by republicans on the decommissioning.
"The IRA had not only failed to decommission but it has continued to engage in violence and murder along with loyalist paramilitaries," he observed.
"This is therefore a blatant breach of the terms of the Agreement and the standards required of a movement which has members holding ministerial office."
Mr Trimble added that the Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid now had seven days to decide if he would suspend the power-sharing government, Assembly and other political institutions in the advent of no IRA disarmament or to permit their collapse.
The Taoiseach Mr Ahern said the resignations came as a "disappointment".
"They are undoubtedly a setback in our efforts to achieve full implementation of the (Belfast) Agreement," he said.
But he hoped the ministers would resume their posts as soon as possible.
He promised that the Irish and British Governments would work together over the crisis. He will meet UK prime minister Mr Tony Blair at a European Union summit tomorrow while the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Brian Cowen will have talks with Northern Secretary Dr Reid.
"UUP ministers have played a valuable and effective role, not only in the institutions in Northern Ireland, but also in the work of the North-South Ministerial Council," he said.
"The institutions are, as we said at Weston Park, the democratic core of the Agreement. Their full functioning is an important sign that politics is working and that the parties can co-operate together effectively in the common interest.
"Today's resignation, however, need not be irrevocable. I firmly hope that the UUP ministers will be able to resume their positions as quickly as possible."
Dr Reid expressed disappointment at the UUP's move but would not disclose what course of action he would take following the resignations.
He said: "I am disappointed but not surprised by this afternoon's developments but I believe that there is still hope that the executive can be fully restored and all remaining parts of the Good Friday Agreement implemented.
"I now intend to consult with the Irish Government and others before reaching a decision on the best way forward."
The Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists confirmed their two ministers' resignations would also take effect as of midnight tonight.
Additional reporting PA and Reuters
