It seems that Sinn Fein is being allowed to block welfare reform in Northern Ireland

The report relates to criticisms in the Irish general election of the republican approach of spend, spend, spend and then say that the money is easily raised by taxing a wealthy minority of people and business.

But as ever, Sinn Fein is criticised and mocked for its playground politics in the Republic but can seemingly do as it pleases north of the border.

Look at the main story on page 10, above that one about the southern election. It explains the decision of Deirdre Hargey, the Sinn Fein communities minister, to (in effect) stall a key plank of welfare reform indefinitely.

Ms Hargey last week announced that fraudulent benefits claimants would no longer be named by her department.

Now she has said that mitigations from the so-called bedroom tax — or the end to the spare room subsidy as it can also be called, less emotively — will be put in place at a cost of £23 million. When the News Letter asked when this would end we were told it would not. When we asked if the money would come from existing budgets we did not get a full answer.

Is any executive party opposing this, and if not why? And why did the parties let it be in a deal written partly by Dublin?

All the main political parties complained about not getting enough money in the recent deal to return Stormont, yet they apparently agree that welfare reform financial savings cannot come to Northern Ireland.

What about families who struggle in privately paid housing? They cannot afford bedrooms surplus to their needs and often have to buy a house smaller than they would like. It is not unusual for there to be a £30,000 or £40,000 price premium per extra bedroom on such a privately purchased home.

Stormont is only weeks old and there are worrying indications that it is still not prepared to make hard choices.

This open ended welfare mitigation will affect the overall NI budget, which in some sectors is at crisis point.