The Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that if the DUP refuses to share power with Sinn Féin, 'Plan B' is ready to kick in.
The proposed arrangement will see Dublin having a greater say in the running of the North in conjunction with the British government.
However, Dermot Ahern - who was speaking at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in Dublin - is refusing to reveal the exact nature of the contingency plan.