Sinn Fein leaders have met to discuss negotiations with the British and Irish governments on outstanding issues in the peace process.

Its national executive, the Ard Chomhairle, was convening in Dublin on Monday to look at the results of the consultation process of its members undertaken in the last fortnight on the St Andrews devolution talks.

The Northern Ireland parties have been given until Friday to agree the St Andrews deal as a means of restoring a power-sharing administration at Stormont by next spring.

Party chairman Mary Lou McDonald said: "The consultation process... to assess the potential of the proposals set out by the two governments at St Andrews and the ongoing negotiations regarding a number of core outstanding issues, will conclude today.

"There is a huge responsibility on all of the parties and the two governments at this time.

"If we can bring about a situation where anti-[Good Friday] agreement unionists share power on the basis of equality with republicans it will be a huge achievement."

"But we need to ensure that progress is made on the basis of the Good Friday agreement.

"Events of the last two weeks show us how difficult all of this is going to be to achieve and how much work has still to be done."

Meanwhile, David Ford, leader of the moderate Alliance Party has said he could not recommend the St Andrews Agreement to his members without more detail.

He said the party would require guarantees about the stability of the institutions and a genuine commitment to the rule of law from all sides.

He said: "We are a devolutionist party, but it must be stable and genuine devolution.

"We will do everything we can to achieve that - the challenge is for the sectarian parties to do likewise. This is their final opportunity."