A leading Sinn Fein politician has called on the UK government to address outstanding issues in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Speaking on Monday after meetings between Ulster secretary Paul Murphy and the Sinn Fein delegation led by Gerry Adams, Belfast councillor Alex Maskey insisted that the party was not trying to pull out of the agreement but "resolve a long number of outstanding issues".

His comments followed a weekend intervention by Murphy who said he wanted an assurance that there would be an end to paramilitary activity by the IRA.

"I think that some of the speculation that I've seen over the last few days is probably inaccurate and certainly unhelpful," said Maskey.

"What we are talking about here is those matters that the British government is directly responsible for.

"They have not implemented issues arising from the Good Friday agreement, long-standing issues on justice and equality and that is where our focus was here this morning.

"We are not talking about trying to pull together some package. We are trying to resolve a long number of outstanding matters."

Murphy is expected to meet anti-agreement unionists later this week, while a meeting between the SDLP and armed forces minister Adam Ingram has been cancelled.

Northern Ireland minister John Spellar is also expected to meet electoral officials, as speculation mounts of a possible election to the Stormont assembly in November or December.