Northern Irish leaders offered £2.5bn package in bid to revive Stormont

Jeffrey Donaldson speaks outside Hillsborough Castle where protesters urged MLAs to ‘take your seats’. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA

UK ministers have offered Northern Ireland a financial package that they say is worth £2.5bn on condition that the Stormont executive is revived.

Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, made the offer at a roundtable meeting of party leaders on Monday against a backdrop of political deadlock, budget overruns and crumbling public services.