All-party Stormont finance talks 'in parallel' to discussions with DUP on Irish Sea border - NIO

At the weekend Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told party members that “more work is required to conclude that process if we are to have arrangements acceptable to unionists as well as nationalists”.

Sinn Fein had claimed it was told by the UK government that its talks with the DUP on the Irish Sea border were over. The DUP and the government rejected that – with the DUP saying “there remains further work yet to be completed before we would consider negotiations with the UK Government concluded”.

The Secretary of State is holding a roundtable discussion with all the main political parties later today. The Hillsborough Castle talks will focus on the sustainability of Northern Ireland’s finances and public services. They will also involve senior officials from the Northern Ireland Office, the Northern Ireland Civil Service, the Cabinet Office and the Treasury.

Mr Heaton-Harris said: "My intention is to set out how the Government would assist the parties to address the immediate challenges resulting from 21 months without a functioning Executive.

"We will focus on the need for an incoming Executive to transform public services so they can be delivered in a more sustainable way”.

The Secretary of State also said the talks will focus on what happens if an Executive isn’t restored – what some of the other parties call ‘Plan B’.

"We will also need to talk about what happens in the event the Executive is not reformed and it is once again left to the UK Government to set a budget for the next financial year. In parallel to these meetings, I continue to engage with the DUP and am pleased that those negotiations have made significant progress over recent months, but at this point are yet to conclude.”

On Friday, the DUP deputy leader Gavin Robinson said the discussions with the government on the sea border and the issue of funding were “parallel” issues.

TUV leader Jim Allister responded saying “The DUP’s characterisation, via Gavin Robinson, of Monday’s talks and their Protocol talks with HMG as ‘a parallel process’ is concerning and wrongheaded.

“The restoration of U.K. sovereignty over NI and thus the end of the application of EU law and its Irish Sea border, must take primacy over what might happen financially thereafter. To create and talk about a parallel process is to invite trade off on the vital constitutional issues ‘if the price is right’!

“No financial bung can restore our constitutional position and the restoration of Art 6 of the Acts of Union. Nor, must such coerce or cajole unionists out of standing firm on what matters most.”