Calls for emergency budget legislation
The need for a budget and a cry for unionist unity - our Political Correspondent Jordan Moates has a look at the latest goings-on at The Hill.
Last updated 8th Mar 2017
Day two of post-election negotiations at Stormont saw calls for the Secretary of State to implement an emergency budget. If no government is in place by the end of the month the civil service will have to step in and put in place a reduced financial plan.
The call came from the Alliance Party's Deputy Leader Stephen Farry. He says if Northern Ireland doesn't have a budget in place before the end of the financial year there will be big consequences:
"The ability for our public services to plan and to spend money effectively will be severely constrained. That will have a massive impact on everyone's lives - whether someone is on a waiting list, the ability of schools to be able to employ teachers and actually teach the next generation."
The former Finance Minister MáirtÃn Ó Muilleoir was due to present a budget before Christmas, then he was going to do it in the New Year, and then the election happened.
On Tuesday the head of the Civil Service, Sir Malcolm McKibbon wrote to his staff yesterday, saying is a difficult and pressing issue.
Mr Farry says emergency measures should be put in place sooner rather than later:
"We believe it should be taken through during the course of March, in conjunction with the talks. It's fine for people to say 'well let's see how the talks work out and then we'll look at things', but every day that goes past is a missed opportunity in terms of proper and effective planning and that means resources cannot be efficiently and effectively spent."
Elsewhere with the loss of around 16 seats in the election and the unionist majority in the chamber, the idea of 'unionist unity' keeps getting mentioned during these negotiations.
Many politicians, including the DUP's Nigel Dodds have been questioning the way forward for unionism:
"We need to work more closely together and deliver for all of our people, but make sure unionism is represented in Stormont and elsewhere at the level at which it should be represented, reflective of the demographics of the community."
The DUP and Ulster Unionists have come together in recent times, but only for a Westminster election. The rise in the nationalist vote last week could be the catalyst that pushes them closer together. Mr Dodds seems to think it needs to be discussed.
He wants to see "Unionists working together more co-operatively, rejecting the approach of MIke Nesbitt who wanted to divide unionists."
He added: "Hopefully we can move forward in a new era, where unionists are coming together and working together and delivering for the unionist community".
On Wednesday the Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan will be in Belfast to join the talks. He will meet with the political parties and the Secretary of State James Brokenshire.