Plans to set up a special committee of the Irish parliament which would deal with Northern Ireland affairs have been confirmed by the Irish government.It is believed Northern Ireland MPs would have the right to speak at the proposed committee.
Full details have not been announced but Irish deputy PM Michael McDowell said the Irish government was moving ahead with the proposal.
Mr McDowell said all NI party leaders would be consulted about the plan.
The leader of the main Irish opposition party, Fine Gael's Enda Kenny, questioned whether Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had cut a "side-deal" with Sinn Fein in return for last weekend's decision to back policing.
Sinn Fein had previously demanded that Northern Ireland politicians be given speaking rights in the Dail - the Republic's parliament.
However, Mr McDowell, representing Mr Ahern, told the Dail on Thursday: "I was fully consulted in relation to the committee that is being established.
"There will be full dialogue with all party leaders in the Dail and all party leaders in Northern Ireland including the SDLP, Sinn Fein and the unionist parties."
The plan has been welcomed by the SDLP as a positive step forward, but Sinn Fein said it fell short of a previous agreement to have local politicians in the Dail.
The DUP's Ian Paisley Junior called it a fantasy committee for nationalists and the Ulster Unionist leader, Sir Reg Empey, dismissed it as an unwelcome and unwarranted interference.
On Wednesday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dail that no referendum was required in the Republic on the St. Andrews Agreement.
"The changes effected by this agreement do not constitute fundamental changes to the Good Friday Agreement," he said.
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