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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Brendan Hughes

Northern Ireland secretary to hold further roundtable talks with Stormont parties

Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris is set to hold further roundtable talks this week with the main Stormont parties.

The meeting in Belfast scheduled for Thursday is expected to discuss the ongoing power-sharing stalemate and Stormont's budget in the absence of devolved government.

It is understood parties are being asked to bring forward budget proposals for the next financial year, in which departments could face cuts of at least £500million.

Read more: DUP leader reshuffles roles in Stormont Assembly team

Mr Heaton-Harris may also update parties on whether he will call a snap Assembly election after the latest legal deadline for restoring Stormont power-sharing lapsed last month.

The UK government currently has a legal responsibility to call an election by April 13, but there is little sign of a fresh poll being announced.

The Northern Ireland secretary has previously introduced legislation at Westminster to extend the period for forming an Executive and could choose to do so again.

Mr Heaton-Harris last month said he would reflect on his options rather than immediately making a decision.

The latest meeting follows controversy over roundtable talks last month when Sinn Féin refused to take part after party leader Mary Lou McDonald was excluded.

The UK government said the meeting, which included Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, was "for Northern Ireland politicians" and Sinn Féin's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill had been invited.

It suggested diplomatic protocol meant Mr Cleverly could not meet Ms McDonald - leader of the opposition in the Republic - before meeting his Irish government counterpart, Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

But Mr Martin said he would have had no issue with the Sinn Féin leader attending the meeting.

The dispute overshadowed a series of political talks in Belfast last month on the Northern Ireland Protocol impasse.

For the past year the DUP has been blocking Stormont power-sharing in protest against the post-Brexit trading arrangements, which have angered unionists for creating new checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

Talks are continuing between the UK and European Union in a bid to resolve disputes over the protocol.

European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic on Monday said progress is being made in negotiations but difficulties remain.

It follows reports of a breakthrough in negotiations in which the EU will accept a UK proposal for red and green lanes at Northern Ireland's ports, a senior EU source told RTÉ.

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