NI Executive: Ministers due to meet over budget crisis

Stormont faces a shortfall of more than £200m in its budget for the current financial year

Northern Ireland Executive ministers are due to meet later to discuss the budgetary crisis facing the power-sharing assembly.

Stormont faces a shortfall of more than £200m in its budget for the current financial year, which ends in April.
Executive ministers have proved unable to resolve the deadlock over welfare reform.
Wednesday's meeting was called by Alliance ministers David Ford and Stephen Farry.
Mr Ford said: "What is at stake is potentially the whole budgetary position of Northern Ireland for the remainder of this year and even looking into next year.
'Into the red' "We should have been working well on the way to getting next year's budget agreed by the month of October. We haven't even resolved the position for the budget for this year.
"So there are real issues about getting ministers round the executive table and a proper level of engagement by all ministers to deal with the outstanding issues."
Earlier this month, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service formally warned the Treasury that it was on track to go into the red by the end of this financial year.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson recently said the arrangements for devolved government at Stormont were "no longer fit for purpose".
On Tuesday, Prime Minister David Cameron said he did not want the Northern Ireland Executive to collapse.
He said what was in place was "far better than any of the alternatives"