As the deadlock at Stormont continued, the DUP upped the ante on republicans by urging the public to make its judgment on Sinn Fein, in light of the withholding of funds from key services.

Finance Minister Nigel Dodds periodically gathers money which departments have not spent and redistributes it to schemes in need of urgent funding.

He was due to make an announcement yesterday on the latest financial "monitoring round".

But he could not do so because there was no Executive or Sinn Fein approval for the statement.

Details of the financial plan, however, presented to ministers in the power-sharing government, later leaked out.

It is understood:

l the Department for Social Development should be receiving around £15 million for housing schemes.;

l the Department of Education is in line for a boost of £5 million;

l the Department of Health is earmarked for £5 million;

l the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is due £0.5 million for its Re-Imaging Communities Programme;

l the Departments of Agriculture and Environment also have substantial funding packages ready;

l and an estimated £6 million has been set aside for building work on the Warrenpoint Harbour development.

All of this spending cannot be followed through because the Executive has not met to approve it.