Blair: IRA must make a bold move

Tony Blair has said that IRA must make a bold move if political progress is to be achieved in the North.

Speaking to reporters at his monthly news conference the British Prime Minister said that republicans must recognise that they have "a one-off opportunity".

He added that if the IRA managed to get over the "credibility threshold" then Unionists would have to drop their objections to powersharing with republicans.

The IRA is expected to make a statement on its future in the next few weeks.

Bertie Ahern is in Downing Street this afternoon for a summit on Northern Ireland.

The two Premiers are chairing a meeting of the British-Irish InterGovernmental Conference.

The conference was established under the Good Friday Agreement and usually meets at ministerial level.

The Irish delegation in London today includes the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.