Two former IRA prisoners – one who supports the Good Friday Agreement and one who opposes it – have rejected speculation of a possible split in the IRA.
The British and Irish governments last week increased pressure on the IRA, claiming a statement it delivered during talks over the implementation of the agreement did not go far enough.
On Thursday, US envoy Richard Haass said: "It's a challenge to leadership to try and build a majority in favour, in this case, for taking some historic steps.
"I think, again, what would follow would be historic rewards, but I think we simply reach the point in Northern Ireland where the era of gradualism or incrementalism has run its course, and dramatic steps are what is required.
"Nothing less, quite frankly, will suffice. I am simply hoping that a majority of the republican movement sees this on balance as being in their interest."
Following his comments republicans, both opposed and in favour of the agreement, rejected claims that a split might occur.
Former IRA prisoner Joe Doherty, who spent 22 years in prison, including a decade fighting extradition from America, said that any attempt to split the republican movement would be detrimental to the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process.
"I was in the republican movement when the first split between the Officials and the Provisionals took place in the early 1970s.
"So I know what damage splitting an organisation can do.
"When the 1994 ceasefire was approaching I was one of the people in the H Blocks discussing what the peace process meant.
"We were always encouraged by the leadership to debate the issues and talk things through. That was an important part of the process within the jail."
But Joe Doherty admits that even he initially had reservations about the Good Friday Agreement.
"When the agreement was signed I read it and thought 'is this why I joined the IRA?'.
"But I read it again and we discussed it and I realised that this was part of the compromise which we, and all other parties, have to make.
"I remember Gerry Kelly saying that this wasn't our agreement, but it was an agreement. It is a half-way house for republicans.
"Yes, we have compromised, but we are still committed to the republican ideal."
Warning that it was a fatal mistake for anyone to try and split the IRA, he said: "People support the Adams/McGuinness leadership because they know that the leadership is totally committed to the nationalist community.
"When I joined the IRA in the 70s things were black and white. But in this process we have to accept that things are going to evolve.
"Nationalists are frustrated that there has been no movement on policing and social justice, but at least our politicians are in there fighting for change.
"We fought from outside for long enough, now we are in there bringing people to account.
"There have been splits in republicanism down through the years and the one thing about all of them is that they achieved nothing.
"We can only succeed if we stay united and strong. I am confident that the current leadership has the strength and support to do that."
Former prisoner Anthony McIntyre has been a vociferous opponent of Sinn Féin's involvement in the Agreement, but does not believe the IRA will be split over any future deal with the British government.
"In my view this is nothing more that the outworking of the peace process. It was always going to go this way.
"Republicans were always going to reach a defining moment. What Sinn Féin is doing now is asking the British for more time to try and tell its constituency what this really means."
Mr McIntyre rejected fears that any further concessions by republicans would lead to a split in the IRA.
"These people have accepted every act of humiliation which the British have demanded of them, be it going into Stormont, decommissioning or anything else," he said.
"The republican movement is so leadership-led, that it would take a key figure to walk away before there was any split. There's no sign of any key figure doing that.
"The grass roots have had the opportunity to shun republican leadership in the past, but have refused to do so.
"The Adams leadership is so expert at managing the republican grass roots that no-one will question them.
"There is a saying in republican circles that when it comes to difficult issues, the Adams leadership will shed a few leaves, but never breaks any of the branches."
