Sinn Fein has called for renewed urgency in the Northern Ireland peace process.

The party's president, Gerry Adams, has renewed his call for a date to be set for the postponed assembly elections arguing it would restore confidence in the peace talks.

"Unless the process is given some urgency, unless there is some sense of acceleration in it then we will see all the progress we have made frittered away," he said.

"The only way that this acceleration can be achieved is for a definite date to be set for the election."

The issue has been off the political agenda in London because of the fall-out from the Iraq crisis and a determined effort not to stoke tensions in Northern Ireland.

This summer's marching season has largely passed off peacefully and now the political parties have begun renewing their calls for the government to make up its mind.

"We need to see the right to vote restored and confidence put back into the process," said Adams.

The prime minister signalled on Thursday that the issue is now firmly back on the political agenda.

Tony Blair told his monthly press conference that there is a "decent prospect" of reaching an agreement which would allow elections to go ahead in Northern Ireland.

He said the government now intended "to move this thing forward" and hoped to proceed with a "background of agreement" between rival parties.

"We are working hard now and will do in the next few weeks to achieve that agreement," he said.

"We have come very close but failed the last couple of times to get agreement."

Securing an end to violence and progress towards the restoration of self-government was "tremendously important" for Northern Ireland.

"This situation there is transformed... but that progress could be put at risk if we don't get a proper political framework," said the prime minister.