Stormont Ministers Make Funding Appeal To PM

First Ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness will appeal directly to Gordon Brown (pictured) for additional financial aid today in London.

The Northern Ireland delegation will also include Finance Minister Nigel Dodds and Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy. Today's meeting with the Prime Minister will be held ahead of Thursday's much-anticipated Stormont Executive meeting - the first in five months.

Yesterday, the DUP and Sinn Fein agreed on terms for the contentious devolution of policing and justice powers to the local assembly.

Now the Executive will press central government to fill the budgetary void left by the deferral of water charges in the province, and back payments made to civil servants.

Assistance will also be sought for a financial package to support the most venerable in society, affected by the ongoing financial downturn.

Tomorrow's Cabinet meeting at Castle Buildings will deal with a number of measures outlined to aid those suffering from financial hardship.

The Prime Minister has welcomed recent developments at the Executive table, but it remains to be seen whether he will deliver additional funding to the Stormont budget.

One source told the BBC: "We want the Prime Minister to help the Executive to help the people."

Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte has lauded the progress made on the devolution of policing and justice powers.

Mr Negroponte, meeting representatives of all the political parties yesterday, expressed no reservations over the lack of schedule for the transfer.

He said: "There's a desire to move ahead expeditiously with the implementation,

"I met with the first minister and the deputy first minister together and they both said they want to implement this as fast as possible," added the envoy.

(PR)