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Westminster told to prepare Northern Ireland budget while Stormont talks continue

1 min read

Plans to set a budget for Northern Ireland at Westminster have begun, although talks on resuming power-sharing are reportedly set to continue for another day.


It comes after the major parties failed to end the impasse prior to Monday’s deadline, while talks then continued unsuccessfully on Tuesday.

The latest round of negotiations comes amid an attempt to break the deadlock that has left Northern Ireland without a devolved administration since January, as civil servants take on the everyday running of the province.

The BBC reports that while the DUP are willing to re-enter a power-sharing with their Sinn Féin counterparts, the parties remain deadlocked on the republican party’s demand for legislation to give official status to the Irish language.

Despite months of talks and repeated deadlines, Secretary of State James Brokenshire last week insisted UK ministers would be forced to intervene this week on proceeding with direct rule, in order to arrange a budget for 2017-18.

Today's reports suggest work will begin on a bill in the House of Commons in the week beginning 13 November.

On Monday evening, Mr Brokenshire extended the deadline for the talks after insisting "progress had been made" during the day, while the UK government was considering "certain additional requests" made by the province’s parties.

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