Following this morning’s meeting the Secretary of State said:
We had a constructive meeting this morning to discuss the dispute on implementing the welfare aspects of the Stormont House Agreement (SHA). The five parties agreed to do intensive further work over the coming days and we will meet again tomorrow. If it is implemented, the SHA will enable us to take significant steps forward on key issues such as the Executive’s budget, addressing the legacy of the past and making devolution work better. Failure to resolve the current dispute puts the whole SHA package in jeopardy and would see the Executive increasingly unable to deliver on its priorities for the people of Northern Ireland.