Gerry Adams

The prime minister will meet with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams tomorrow in an urgent bid to quell republican anger over the stalled Ulster peace process.

Tony Blair convened the talks at the end of a month in which the government has twice infuriated Sinn Fein.

Earlier this week Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy announced that he would be imposing financial penalties on the party over the IRA's continued paramilitary activity.

And before Easter he also put on hold an investigation into the death of Catholic solicitor Pat Finucane.

Adams will lead a delegation into Number 10 on Friday where Blair will attempt to reassure him that the government remains committed to restoring devolution to the suspended Stormont assembly.

Influence

But the party president will also be told that Downing Street accepts the Independent Monitoring Commission's (IMC) conclusion that political leaders can exert influence on the IRA and must do more to halt punishment beating and terrorist training.

Ahead of the talks Sinn Fein assembly member Bairbre de Brun said both the British and Irish governments needed to be more consistent in their approach.

"The ad hoc approach of the two governments to this process and their failure to honour commitments has created the current crisis," she said.

"This bad situation was made worse by Tuesday's developments.

"We will be asking Mr Blair what plan he has to repair the situation and get back to the Good Friday agreement."

IMC

But speaking at his monthly news conference in Number 10 on Thursday, Blair defended the IMC's role.

"The question is, is this IMC process, the idea of an independent commission that monitors the obligations of the parties - including those of the governments, incidentally - is this going to play now a central role in the future of the peace process in Northern Ireland?