David Cameron has said there can be a deal on televised leaders' debates - as long they do not take place during the election campaign.

The Prime Minister also issued his strongest call yet for Northern Irish parties to be included.

His comments could leave broadcasters scrambling to organise the highly-anticipated showdowns within weeks.

The Tory leader has faced accusations he is "running scared" of the debates.

His threat to boycott the events unless the Greens were included led to a change of heart by television companies.

But he appears now to have publicly stated another two conditions, which senior Conservatives have been working on behind the scenes.

These include the participation of smaller parties from Northern Ireland, including the DUP who many Tory MPs believe they enter government with if there is a hung parliament in May.

The general election campaign is expected to get underway when the Westminster Parliament closes at the end of March.

There will then be an intense five-week period of electioneering before voters go to the polls on May 7.

The latest suggestion from broadcasters includes the SNP, the Greens and Plaid Cymru, alongside four other parties UKip, the Lib Dems, Labour and the Tories.

Channel 4 and Sky would also pit Mr Cameron in a head-to-head against Labour leader Ed Miliband.

The Prime Minister insisted that he was saying "Yes" to the debates.

But he said the current proposals "doesn't quite make sense".

"It was the broadcasters that decided not only to include the Greens, but they then decided to include Plaid Cymru from Wales and the SNP from Scotland and I think the Labour Party and myself both made the point that you can't have one part of the UK - Scotland or Wales - without having another part - Northern Ireland."

Later he added: "I thought at the last election they were excellent, the debates, but they took the life out of the election campaign. We know when the election is, so let's get on with the debates before that campaign begins