Stormont power-sharing should be restored before any new financial package is considered for Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State has said.
Chris Heaton-Harris said there is a "desperate need" to revive the devolved institutions, which have not been functioning for more than a year.
Reflecting on the local elections, the Northern Ireland secretary also said Sinn Féin becoming the largest party is a "general question for unionism".
Read more: NI council election results 2023: Find out who is elected in your area
Northern Ireland is facing significant real-term cuts to public services amid soaring inflation and pressures including public sector pay demands.
In the absence of local ministers, Mr Heaton-Harris stepped in to set the budget and civil servants have been running departments.
There has been speculation Stormont could receive extra Treasury funding to encourage the DUP to lift its blockade on power-sharing.
But the DUP is holding firm on not returning to Stormont until their concerns around Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework are addressed.
Speaking at the launch of a Trade NI report at Westminster, Mr Heaton-Harris said he wanted to see Stormont back "as soon as possible".
He said he had "yet to receive any ask from the DUP" when questioned on whether he had received any request from the party in terms of money for Stormont.
Asked whether there would be money available for a restored Stormont, Mr Heaton-Harris said it was imperative to restore the Executive first.
"I think we want to get the Executive up and running before we go anywhere near any other questions, because there is a desperate need to get the Executive up and running," he said.
"I've asked a lot of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, who are delivering public services in a certain way at this point in time.
"I think we've seen that people want their politicians to get into Stormont and start making political choices about how money is spent in Northern Ireland, and that's what we need to see."
He replied simply "yeah", when asked whether there was any meaningful engagement ongoing with the DUP.
"I don't do timelines, and I’m afraid the one thing I have learned is that conversations are best done in a confidential manner … and I'm looking forward to continuing those conversations," he said.
Last week's local government election saw Sinn Féin overtake the DUP to become the largest party on the councils, after it became the largest party at Stormont last year.
Mr Heaton-Harris said he had congratulated Sinn Féin on becoming the largest party.
"It's a function of democracy, I congratulated them on a good result. I don't think it particularly changes the nature of how I engage with them," he said.
Asked whether the development concerned him as a member of the Conservative and Unionist Party, he said: "That's a general question for unionism actually.
"I'm a great believer that unionism is stronger when it is positive and we need to be very positive about what the union can bring to everybody, all communities in Northern Ireland.
"I'm an English unionist, so I would struggle to define what it means for Northern Ireland unionism, but I just know the union is better and stronger when we are positive."
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he expects the UK Government to bring forward legislation to address unionist concerns around the protocol.
He also said more financial support for Northern Ireland is part of discussions with the Government.
Speaking at the launch event, he said: "We're discussing a range of issues with the Government, not least our budgetary challenges in Northern Ireland as well as the need to address the problems created by the protocol and where we feel the Windsor Framework falls short of providing that solution.
"Of course, it has to be if we’re to see an Executive restored on a sustainable and stable basis, that’s not just about resolving the issues around the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Protocol, it is also about ensuring that we’ve got the resource to make the reforms that we need in Northern Ireland and to deliver healthcare, education and all the other vital public services,” he said.
"We are developing a range of proposals for the Government, they are aware of the outline of what it is we need.
"It's not just for the DUP, it's for Northern Ireland, we need to ensure that when Stormont is restored it can deliver, that the foundations are solid and that the Assembly and Executive is sustainable. That's what I'm in the business of delivering."
Business leaders, Cabinet ministers and policy makers attended the reception at the House of Commons Terrace to launch the Trade NI report.
The paper suggests reform of the public sector in Northern Ireland and enhanced ground and air connectivity as a blueprint for prosperity in the region.
Trade NI is an alliance of three trade bodies – Hospitality Ulster, Manufacturing Northern Ireland, and Retail Northern Ireland.
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