David Cameron: Northern Ireland agreement needed by end of October

The prime minister has told the BBC that Northern Ireland inter-party talks have to lead to agreement by the end of October.

David Cameron said "under the rules of the institutions it gets increasingly difficult to have this process stalled and stuck".

Mr Cameron said everyone wanted the institutions to work.

He added that "everyone knows they are not currently delivering properly for the people of Northern Ireland".

The story of Stormont's crisis

• Stormont's political upheaval was sparked by allegations that Provisional IRA members were involved in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr

• Row erupted after a senior Sinn Féin member was arrested as part of the inquiry into Mr McGuigan's death. He was later released without charge.

• Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson stepped aside; all but one of his Democratic Unionist Party ministers resigned

• Finance Minister Arlene Foster is now acting first minister

Read more on how the crisis unfolded

Questioned about Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour leader's commitment to a united Ireland, Mr Cameron said: "I happen to think he is profoundly wrong. I think the United Kingdom is better together.

"I think the support he gave in the past to men of violence was profoundly wrong, but, none the less, he must answer for his opinions. I will answer for mine."

He added that "it matters that the resident of Number 10 wants to make sure that we have peace and progress in Northern Ireland and that is what I am focused on".

In a recent BBC interview, Mr Corbyn said that his consistent position has been that violence in Northern Ireland was wrong on all sides.

On Sunday, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "The violence was wrong on all sides and I've said so all along. My whole point was if it would bring about a peace process that you weren't going to achieve it through military means."

'As generous as we can be'

The prime minster also stressed that his government would not provide extra money to try and resolve the political impasse in Northern Ireland over welfare reform.

Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland in Downing Street, he said: "We are being as generous as we can be. What we cannot do is fund a more generous system in Northern Ireland paid for by everybody else".

Inter-party talks in Northern Ireland began last month in a bid to resolve the current political crisis at Stormont.

It was triggered when police said they believed IRA members had been involved in the murder of a former IRA man in Belfast in August.

The parties have also been deadlocked over the issue of welfare reform.

Mr Cameron said his government had previously "been generous with the money in the Stormont House Agreement to try and bring about the changes and the public sector reform that are needed in Northern Ireland".

Asked about whether his government would take control of Northern Ireland's welfare payments system if a deal over welfare cannot be agreed locally, he stated that "we have said we will always do what is necessary and what is right".

"What should happen under devolution is that the parties in Northern Ireland should agree the way forward," he added.

Mr Cameron welcomed the involvement of former US senator Gary Hart in the talks process

Speaking about the ongoing talks process he said he believed that good progress was being made.

Mr Cameron welcomed the involvement of former US senator Gary Hart who is to travel to Belfast to help the talks process.

"I think US involvement has been helpful. I think sometimes someone like Senator Hart coming and helping and listening to people is helpful. I think this has been a helpful thing over the years and we should not deny that," the prime minister said.

Mr Cameron will travel to Manchester this weekend to attend the Conservative Party conference and will deliver his keynote speech next Wednesday.