The Real IRA has said it is not involved in "any talks about any subject" with either the British or Irish governments.

Following a week of claims that republican dissidents are holding talks with officials from both governments, a Real IRA spokesman said: "We categorically state that we are not involved in any such negotiations.

"The leadership of the IRA has no interest in talking to the British because the British have currently no interest in ending their occupation of Ireland. There would be nothing to discuss with the British.

"The only item on the agenda for the British would be to buy a ceasefire from the IRA through some financial package. The IRA will not be going down the same path as the Provisionals. The IRA is not in the business of surrender."

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement, which is regarded by the security forces as the Real IRA's political wing, also denied holding discussions with the British: "The Sovereignty Movement is not engaged in talks with the London or Dublin governments," a spokesman said.

Sinn Féin deputy first minister Martin McGuinness insisted some dissident groups have entered dialogue. "I know for a fact [they] have been involved in discussions with both the Irish and British governments in recent times," he said.

Although both governments have publicly denied this, the British are extremely eager to talk to dissidents. Government sources said an intermediary in the community sector – whose name is known to the Sunday Tribune – had opened dialogue between the British and Belfast dissidents who had no connection with the Real IRA.

The three main dissident organisations operating in the North are the Real IRA, the Continuity IRA, and Óglaigh na hÉireann (ONH) – a Real IRA splinter group.

ONH has been responsible for the vast majority of recent dissident attacks. In April, a republican source told the Sunday Tribune that while ONH had no channel of communication to the British, "it would be foolish to rule out talking to (them) in future".

Des Dalton, the president of Republican Sinn Féin – which the security forces claim is the Continuity IRA's political wing – said his party wasn't involved in dialogue with either government. "We will talk to the British only when their withdrawal from Ireland is on the table," he said.