Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has called for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to set a deadline on the discussions or go to the electorate.

Mr Adams said the two parties have been given space to form a government and must now move to resolve the issue.

“I think there is not much patience left,” he said.

He said he and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have years of negotiations behind them. “You go in to a room and you stay in the room and you crunch this and you do it in a short period, not over eight weeks.”

Sinn Féin is gathering for its ardfheis this weekend in the Convention Centre in Dublin. Over 2,500 delegates are due to attend.

Mr Adams was asked if Sinn Féin would consider a partnership government with Fine Gael if Enda Kenny had offered one.

“We would have to talk to him, weigh that all up and having negotiated the best way possible we would have to consider whether we would go to ardfheis to consider that,” he said. “Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil ruled us out so that question does not arise.”

Sinn Féin secured 23 seats in the general election and Mr Adams admitted this was where it had expected to be.

He said the loss of a seat in Donegal and the failure of Dublin West candidate Paul Donnelly to secure a seat were the most disappointing for the party.