Adams urges swift return to power sharing

But he dismissed unionist claims the IRA cannot be trusted as it has not handed back any of the £26.5m (€38.8m) stolen from the Northern Bank last December.

The West Belfast MP said: “For their part the two governments need to move speedily to fulfilling their commitments and injecting renewed momentum into the political process.

“The goal should be the re-establishment of the Executive as quickly as possible and before British direct rule ministers take more decisions on health or education or transport or investment which will adversely effect the people of the north.”

Meanwhile, the Rev Ian Paisley is expected to travel to London next week for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The DUP leader has held separate meetings with General John de Chastelain and the independent church witnesses, the Rev Harold Good and Fr Alec Reid, since the ground-breaking arms announcement on Monday.

Mr Adams will be in Brussels at the start of the week but it has yet to be confirmed if he will also visit Downing Street.

Despite this week’s developments, the Irish Government today said it will not be fully satisfied the IRA has abandoned all criminality until the Independent Monitoring Commission gives the paramilitary group a clean bill of health.

Irish Justice Minister Michael Mr McDowell said he will await IMC reports due next month and January 2006 before making up his mind.

The DUP’s William McCrea said the party will not engage with republicans and called on the IRA to do much more than give up its arms.

The South Antrim MP said: “The DUP will not bestow credibility on Sinn Fein/IRA when its up to its neck in criminality.

“We are not in the business of negotiating with terrorist representatives.

“The Government may be exerting pressure for talks to commence but they must realise that decommissioning is only one element of what is required from the IRA.”

The DUP are the main obstacle to the return of power-sharing – a development Gerry Adams wants to happen as soon as possible.

He said Mr Paisley had accepted the IRA had put its arms beyond use and acknowledged the integrity of the two Church witnesses.

But Mr Adams said the province’s largest party would need time to take on board the landmark developments of the past week.

He said: “In reality it is only a few days since the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning report and the eyewitness testimony of the two churchmen.

“The DUP and unionism generally needs a little space to absorb the hugeness and finality of what has happened.

“If you spend a lifetime saying ‘no’ then it is difficult to deal with this new scenario.

“But there can be no prevarication, no unnecessary delays.”

The Sinn Féin president dismissed unionist doubts over the credibility of the IRA and claims they cannot be trusted, just nine months after Northern Bank robbery.

He said: “They need to trust themselves.

“Let’s not resuscitate that argument.

“If we wanted excuses not to talk to the unionists then we have them. We have many.

“The unionist paramiltaries are still very, very active.

“It has been drawn to my attention that the DUP’s position is a bit false given that they sit on a commission with the UVF, the LVF and the UDA … hardly charitable organisations.”

Meanwhile, the SDLP called on the British and Irish Governments to focus on loyalist weapons and crimes.

North Belfast MLA Alban Maginness said: “The DUP’s foot-dragging and name-calling on republican decommissioning cannot be allowed to distract us from the terrible reality of what has been happening in loyalist areas, which indeed accounts for more than a little of the deprivation and disillusionment that characterises them.

“These areas are being rapidly poisoned by drug-dealing loyalist paramilitaries.

“The unionist political leaders have not confronted the paramilitaries, indeed they seem more and more prepared to cosy up to them.”