SoS says 'window closing' over Stormont impasse
The Secretary of State James Brokenshire met with the five main Stormont parties on Monday and said the 'window for an agreement was closing.'
Last updated 4th Sep 2017
Sinn Féin has called for discussions to be 'short, sharp and focused,' while the DUP said that Mr Brokenshire needed to make a decision by next month on whether power-sharing could be restored.
Sinn Féin's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill said: "There is a short window in front of us where we need to find solutions and a way forward.
"We need a short, sharp and focused negotiation in the small time frame we have ahead of us."
However, the DUP's leader Arlene Foster said that it was her Executive counterparts that were holding matters up.
"I am not going to be prescriptive but we do not believe that there can be a prolonged set of talks," she said.
"We think we should be able to come to a determination pretty quickly whether Sinn Féin want to go back into government.
"Certainly for our part we do.
"We have no red lines - we have no barriers."
Mr Brokenshire said the window of opportunity to reach a deal was closing.
He said he could be forced to legislate for a Stormont budget soon if the deadlock continued