'Sensitive' NI talks press on

Mr Trimble was speaking ahead of his party's annual conference

Policing and justice powers could be transferred to a new power-sharing executive within two years, the Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble has said.

The transfer of policing and justice is one of the most sensitive elements of the current negotiations aimed at restoring devolution to Northern Ireland.

Speaking on BBC's Inside Politics programme, Mr Trimble said it was impossible to predict a precise timescale as the move depended on the creation of the right context.

Mr Trimble was speaking ahead of his party's annual conference which takes place in Armagh on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Irish Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern has said only five days remain for the governments and key players in the political process to make a breakthrough.

Mr Ahern said a decision about fresh Assembly elections would have to be made by next Wednesday.

Bertie Ahern said the next five days were crucial

The taoiseach held a meeting with his British counterpart Tony Blair on the margins of a European Union Council meeting in Brussels on Friday to discuss the current deadlock.

The devolved administration was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in the Stormont government.

Assembly elections were postponed in May but there is speculation over an autumn poll.

Behind-the-scenes negotiations aimed at brokering a deal which could lead to the restoration of devolution are understood to be continuing.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan is expected to meet Mr Ahern to discuss the process in Dublin on Saturday.

On Friday, Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness said there was a lot of concern in the party's wider leadership about the way in which the political process was currently being handled.

Positive atmosphere

He said they were convinced that an election was going to take place shortly.

During the past few weeks, Mr Adams and Mr Trimble have held a series of meetings aimed at breaking the political impasse.

The pro-Agreement parties and Mr Blair have said that they want the election to be held in a positive atmosphere.

However, Mr Trimble has said there should be no election until the parties have reached agreement.

The unionists want a significant move by republicans to indicate that all IRA activity is at an end.