Northern Ireland peace talks have continued amid hopes for a final deal on IRA disarmament and restoring devolution.

Following discussions with the prime minister in Downing Street, Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley again repeated that IRA decommissioning was still the main sticking point.

Speaking outside Number 10 following the talks, Paisley said: "I don't think we should be rushing and I don't think the prime minister would want us to rush it.

"We are making progress. Naturally he wants to come to completion and so do I. I have other places to visit than Downing Street everyday."

Meanwhile Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was in discussions with taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin.

Tuesday's meetings formed part of intense talks aimed at reviving devolved government in Northern Ireland.

Suspension

Its political institutions have been suspended since October 2002 amid claims of IRA spying at the Northern Ireland Office.

The British and Irish governments are reported to have set today as an informal deadline for reaching a final deal on IRA disarmament and restoring the power-sharing executive.

Talks may continue over the coming days however as part of an intense effort to secure agreement.

Hopes have grown in recent weeks that a deal can be done to bring the DUP and Sinn Fein into a power sharing administration.

Amid mounting optimism, the DUP is, however, warning that key issues remain unresolved.

It wants to see a firm commitment on the total decommissioning of all terrorist arms.

The DUP is demanding that weapons are stripped from all the arms dumps across Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Such a move would be overseen by decommissioning boss General John de Chastelain, who is poised to begin the process of monitoring any mass handover.

Sinn Fein

Despite the arms issue, a new breakthrough was achieved on Monday when Sinn Fein leaders met with senior Ulster police chiefs for the first time.

Speaking after the talks the head of the Police Service in Northern Ireland, Hugh Orde, said: "We discussed security, normalisation and policing. The fact that the meeting happened is very significant.

"It is the first time I have met Mr Adams and it was an opportunity to explain about policing and how we have moved on."

Adams, meanwhile, gave cause for hope with an appeal for the DUP to make the next move.

"We have always felt that a deal was inevitable if we keep pushing it and we are going to keep pushing it. It is a matter of when," he said.