More than �26m was stolen from the Northern Bank

The Independent Monitoring Commission held a series of meetings last week, including one with the chief constable.

It is expected to endorse the police assessment north and south of the Irish border that the IRA carried out the robbery on 20 December.

It is understood the commissioners will be in a position to report within days.

Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde has blamed the IRA for the bank raid. The IRA has denied this.

Irish Premier Bertie Ahern has said that garda intelligence suggests the IRA was indeed responsible. The monitoring commission will meet Mr Ahern on Monday.

'Decision defended'

Earlier this week, Mr Ahern held his first face-to-face meeting with Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams since the chief constable's assessment.

Mr Adams is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair at his country residence at Chequers on Friday.

The prime minister has defended his decision to meet Mr Adams, but said he would make it clear at the talks the need for exclusively peaceful means.